Falling Stars
by coramdeo8
Summary: Two months after Rapunzel's return, she is officially coronated as Princess of Corona. But a nefarious enemy threatens in secret the safety of the kingdom and the love between Rapunzel and Eugene.
1. Rise and Shine

_A/N: First and foremost, thank you for reading this story I hope that you enjoy it as much as I am writing it. These are not my characters, they are Disney's and I am making no attempt at Copyright infringement or whatever their lexicon is for those crimes._

_I love these characters to death, so I had an idea to try and push their boundries. I have done the best I can to keep them in character with how we see them in the movie, but I hope that new challenges can develop them in ways that are fun for all of us observe. Just as a forewarning, I understand that my initial chapters may be slow in action. But where they are slow in action, I think that some romance between our favorite couple will help move things along in a meaningful way for the plot. The M rating is just to be safe. I hate misleading people if the action doesn't turn out as violent as I forsee it being, but I just want to be safe for now. _

_Please don't hesitate to give feedback, suggestions, etc. I would love to discuss the story with anyone who might be interested. Even if it's just about the characters in general, not pertaining to my story, I am all ears. I love these characters. I could talk about Rapunzel all day (she's the prototype of my dreamgirl lol)._

_Thank you for reading, I sincerely hope you enjoy :)_

**Falling Stars**

**by CoramDeo**

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><p>Gusts of winds harassed Eugene as he scaled the cliff's precipice. He paused for a moment while he spotted the next rock jutting from the terrain that he could grab on to. His arm stretched as far it could, but it remained just out of his reach.<p>

He pulled his arm back in frustration. Pondering his options, he looked below him and began to panic. Thousands of feet down was the dark abyss, which as far as he knew might have been bottomless. He glanced up to the top of the cliff. A heart, beating as if it was still in its owner's chest, rested on top of a stone table. With one hand still securely gripping the precipice, he touched his chest over where his heart should have been. He didn't feel it beating within his chest, a cruel reminder that he had to keep climbing to get it back.

He closed his eyes and did his best to compose himself as mustered the strength to move onward.

"C'mon, Eugene!"

The words growled up through his throat; he felt adrenaline rushing through his veins. Boosting of the ledge, he lunged for the next rock just beyond his grasp. His fingers caught a grip of the stone while his feet scrambled to find any kind of footing that would support his grip.

Throaty grunts strained from his larynx as wind gales threatened to free him from his grip. After seconds of struggling for his life, Eugene exhaled as he gained a stable hold of the ledge. With the next rock in reach, he continued upward.

Finally, his arm was within reach of the top of the cliff. His eyes were caught by the sight of a large root growing out of the ground. After brief hesitation, he lunged for the root and gained a firm grasp of it. He peered over at his heart once more. He was almost there.

Pulling himself up by the root, he kicked his feet in to the cliff's side to boost himself up to the precipices crest. As his feet chugged upward he felt his leg falter as the soil gave out from underneath him. His heart rate skyrocketed.

"No. No no no no."

The root started tearing through the soil while the rest of the ledge began sliding out from underneath him. His limbs churned at full speed to help him get to safety on the ledge. The nails on his fingers peeled back and tore from their cuticles they clawed in to the grass on top of the cliff. His grip failed him, releasing him to fall his imminent demise. Eugene howled in terror as he plummeted in to the dark oblivion.

"Nooo!"

Eugene leapt from his sleep. His chest heaved sporadically as it fought to catch its breath. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead and his lip just below the nose. The tips of his hair conglomerated with each other, united by the moisture seeping from his pores.

After several seconds of hyperventilation, deep breaths began to soothe his exasperated condition.

"It was just a dream," he muttered to himself reassuringly.

He flopped back on to his back when he finally began to relax. That's when he realized his sheets, pillows, and pajama bottoms were completely drenched in his perspiration. He cringed at the soggy touch to his shirtless back.

After rolling out of bed he opened his window. His eyes squinted in their response to the magnificent morning sky. It did not match the brisk temperatures or colorful leaves that hung from the trees and sprinkled the ground below.

It had been a nearly two months since Rapunzel had first returned to the palace with him, and he still wasn't used to the oceanic view outside his window every morning. It was only a medium sized room in the palace staff dormitory, but he was more than content simply being welcomed within the palace compound. The frigid breeze blew through his sweat dampened hair, allowing it to dry some before he washed up for the day.

He turned when he heard the pecking of someone's fist outside of his room. The tapping mimicked the tune of a nursery rhyme against the wooden door. _Old McDonald had a farm, eee-i-eee-i-o! _ He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Only one person in the world would knock on his door in such a manner.

He opened the door just enough so he could poke his head through playfully. "Good morning, Blondie!"

Rapunzel leaned against the wall next to his door. She too was poking her ahead around the corner into the small crease of Eugene's doorway with a glowing smile. She was garbed in a royal blue dress; and though Eugene always looked upon Rapunzel respectful eyes, the way her corset enhanced her already petite physique was not lost to his attention. As usual, shoes were absent from her dainty feet; nobility proved unsuccessful in making conform wearing them on a full time basis.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" She smiled once more then lowered her tone to that of a whisper. "Can I come in?"

Eugene opened his mouth to welcome her in, when he noticed Pascal sitting proudly on her shoulder next to the brown locks that draped to her shoulders. "Sure, but HE can't." Eugene smirked at Pascal whose gaze began to narrow.

Rapunzel giggled. "It's okay Pascal; he's just cranky in the morning." She began pushing her way in to the door as Eugene resisted slightly.

"I'm not cranky. I just don't want a frog running around my room. There are a lot of people who would agree with me." Eugene finally let go of the door and let Rapunzel stumble gracefully in to his room.

She immediately wrapped him in a hug, nearly tackling him. "Good morning to you to Blondie! Or should I say – Princess!" He was caught off his guard by her overflowing excitement as she barreled in to his chest. "Today's your big day!"

"I know I'm so excited. And really scared. But I think I'm mostly excited. But still a little scared." She released him from her arms and began to jump in place, unsure of how else to express her enthusiasm.

He placed his arms on her shoulders to ease her tension. "Don't worry. You'll be a great princess and an even better Queen!"

"Do you really think so?" Rapunzel searched for inspiration in his eyes as he smiled at her.

"I know so! I'll be there to see that crown of yours finally return to your head."

Her smile extended from ear to ear. He loved seeing her smile because of the way it exposed her tiny overbite. It was a trait that on any other woman would be a minor flaw to an otherwise perfect form. But on Rapunzel, it seemed to match her beautiful physique perfectly along with her adorable, innocent persona. He pulled her in for a reassuring hug that she melted in to.

"The one that you stole." Rapunzel giggled as she poked his stomach teasingly.

"I think of it as I was returning it to you. I was doing everyone a service."

"Uh huh." She puckered her lips and narrowed her gaze in as if she were suspicious of him. "Surrre!"

With a chortle he released her from his grasp. He pulled a shirt from his cupboard and pulled it over his head so that it covered his sculpted form.

Rapunzel plopped down on the end of his bed. She propped her elbows on her knees, and rested her chin in her hands. "Do you have to work today?"

"Yea." Eugene dabbed a towel across his face after splashing it with some water.

Though he lived in the palace compound, he was far from living the good life. The king was grateful that he'd rescued her, but couldn't just release him of all his crimes at the drop of a hat. Still bound by his duty to justice the king pardoned Eugene of his grievances under the condition of parole of one year. He could live within the palace compound amongst the staff and earned a reasonable wage, but was under constant surveillance from the palace guards. One wayward step and he was back in jail.

The work was hard, and sometimes gross. It often felt like a janitor's job. But he was content with it as long as he wasn't in a jail cell and was able to see Rapunzel.

Her lower lip stuck out in a pouty fashion, her eyes drooped like those of a stray puppy.

"Don't worry," Eugene said with a reassuring grin. "I'll be there for the ceremony. You don't want me getting in trouble with my boss now do you?"

She grinned. "Well, we wouldn't want that!"

He offered her a hand and lifted her up from her seat. "Besides, don't you have princess business to attend to anyways."

Rapunzel's shoulders drooped as a sigh exited from her mouth. "Yes. I have to go to a final rehearsal for the ceremony and then get prepared by the maids with mother."

"Well that's not that bad." He furrowed his brow some. He didn't see how this was so much worse than any other day, except for perhaps the coronation part.

"But, before I do that father is introducing me a few suitors."

Eugene's eyes dilated. His heart skipped a beat. He figured that her father was probably not too fond of their relationship. He wouldn't know since they never really spoke of the idea of him and her actually getting married. His mind raced for answers while he simultaneously remained intent on Rapunzel.

"Supposedly, they 'fancy' me, as father says. He isn't quite ready to let me marry. He wants me to enjoy what bit of my childhood I have left."

Her words did nothing to reassure him.

"Besides, I have you." She offered him a warm smile, completely oblivious to Eugene worries.

"And I have you."

He smiled and wrapped her in another hug. She pressed her head in to his chest and enjoyed it while she could, until the next time she could hold him. They released one another and she began to exit the room. She stopped in the doorway and turned around once more.

"Eugene!" He looked up in to her glittering eyes as she smiled back at him. "I love you!"

A small grin formed at the corner of his mouth. "I love you too!"

She snickered like a schoolgirl after receiving a glance from her secret admirer, and skipped out of the room.

Eugene sat down on the end of his bed and ran his fingers through his hair apprehensively. She said she loved him; but for the first time that he could remember, doubts whispering in his head began to question the permanence of their love.

Amidst his perplexity, he felt something crawling up on to his shoulder. He looked over to see Pascal staring at him blankly. The chameleon sort of shrugged his shoulders as if he were saying: _What are you looking at me for?_

Eugene sighed. He pushed aside his worries for the time being and finished getting ready for work.


	2. Coronation

_A/N: Hey again, here's chapter two. I hope your enjoying the story thus far as much as I am writing it. I know it's slow right now but I promise it will pick up. This chapters do lead somewhere and are setting things up.. :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Coronation<strong>

There wasn't a vacant seat in the Cathedral. People from across the kingdom of Corona crammed tightly in to every available pew to see Rapunzel's coronation. The turnout exceeded the capacity of the building; people filled the balcony and poured out of the pews all the way out in to the streets of the city, overflowing like a mug filled well beyond its brim.

Eugene was fortunate enough to have a front row seat. Rapunzel had charmed her father well enough to convince him to reserve a seat for the former thief. She wasn't manipulative in any way, but Eugene had seen firsthand how the mere sight of Rapunzel would cause the King to willingly and even unknowingly dote upon her. Sometimes she would protest against his efforts to please her. He smirked at the thought of the almost hypnotic effect of her personality.

Rapunzel stood behind her father, her hand locked with her mother's beside her. Behind them in some chairs sat other nobles from various provinces of the kingdom, and even some royalty from allied lands.

Some of the noblemen upon the stage appeared to be much younger – about Eugene's age, he concluded. No doubt that some of these were the suitors that Rapunzel mentioned of earlier. He began eyeballing each of the eligible bachelors and scrutinizing any flaw he could find on them. _He should give his horse a break; maybe take a jog home after this and work off that gut he's sporting. He could probably use a booster seat. Whoa, that one is just creepy._

"Eighteen years ago, my wife, myself, and we as a kingdom wept over the abduction of our child." The King's voice boomed like a voice from the heavens in the expanse of the sanctuary. The less fortunate attendants who stood outside could hear him clearly. "Two months ago, after many years of prayers and tears, we wept once more over her return. Over the return of hope!

"For many years, she lived within the clutches of an evil that sought to hoard her radiant light; the hope she gives to us today. She was manipulated and leeched from as if she were a mere object. Some who have faced such adverse times in their life have crumbled like dam under the rushing waters. But today, I say with a clear conscious that Rapunzel does not fit that description. Her light has shined through the darkness, and has brought the same light back to our future!"

Eugene couldn't help but agree. For him, the king had hit the nail on the head. Rapunzel remained pure even under harsh circumstances. He would have, and did for that matter, given in to the temptations that swirl around one when they lose their way. That's why he loved her. She lit his life when he was in the dark.

The king turned brought his daughter forth to the front of the stage. She knelt before him, staring up at him admiringly.

"Rapunzel, as princess of the Kingdom of Corona, you are being tasked with an incredible duty. You must acquire the wisdom the wisdom to lead your country when I and your mother are no longer able to do so. You must conduct yourself in a manner that represents not only yourself, but your people respectably. And most of all you must always put the good your people ahead of yourself."

He paused.

"Do you accept this responsibility?"

Rapunzel's face sparkled. Her chest throbbed; her hands trembled as they rested gracefully on her thighs. She giggled nervously under her breath and wrestled a nervous gulp down her throat.

"I do!"

The three royal family members gleamed as they exchanged glances. The king lifted the crown from where it rested on the table adjacent to him and held it above Rapunzel's head.

"I now crown you, Rapunzel Elizabeth Hartmann, princess of Corona!"

He placed the crown gently on top of her head. She could feel the metal rims grooving in to her hair; at first it almost seemed cold to the touch. A shiver slithered down her neck to her back and back again. The audience erupted in to a thunderous applause. A few people stood from their seats, then a few more followed suit. Soon every person in attendance was on their feet. Some women on the balcony were tossing flower peddles in the air. Rapunzel, the King, and the Queen joined hands and bowed before the crowd, whose cheers only grew louder.

Rapunzel waved to the crowd. A young, blonde haired girl a couple rows back was sitting on her father's shoulders, cheering and blowing kisses in her direction. Rapunzel spotted the girl and blew a kiss back. It took all of the princess' energy to resist running around like child, jumping up and down in her excitement.

A wide, admiring grin plastered Eugene's face. She was beautiful. Of course, she was the princess, but that didn't change who she was. She was adored by all, but she had time to blow kisses to children. She was famous, but she cherished the moments she could spend the poor and downtrodden people who struggled to find food. She wore the finest clothing, but almost always refused to wear shoes. She was morally devout and inherently good. She was strong and contained an infectious happiness that made even the coldest of hearts melt like ice thawing during at the beginning of spring. Thinking of her seemed to brighten his thoughts, and at the same time sadden them. Aware of his own sins, he knew it was because of her that his life turned around. He didn't deserve her, and he knew it.

He was stirred from his reverie when he noticed her grinning at him widely from the stage. She blew him a kiss. He replied by pretending to snatch it from the air and place it on his cheek. As always she giggled at the gesture.

Rapunzel turned and faced the crowd once more and waved before leaving the stage with her parents. The roar of the crowd gradually dissipated, then was abated to a cheery murmur as people filed out in to the streets for the festivities that would begin.


	3. The Silver Lion

**Chapter 3 - The Silver Lion**

"Do you see him, Sarah?" Rapunzel stood on a bench on the sidewalk on her tip toes as she scanned the crowd. Pascal sat on top of her head with his hand over his brow, searching in the distance like a sailor looking for any sign of land.

Rapunzel's maid shrugged her shoulders. "Mister Rider, pardon, Fitzherbert, said that he would meet you by The Laughing Lord tavern at 9 o'clock".

About half a block away, Rapunzel spotted a small dance circle beginning to form in the middle of the street. Her eyes gleamed. She was always up for a dance – especially if it spontaneously occurred in the streets of the city.

She jumped down from the bench and landed gracefully on the cobblestone road. She bolted through the crowd, dodging pedestrians as she maneuvered her way through the crowded street.

"Miss Rapunzel, where are you going?" Sarah's voice was exasperated. She could hardly keep tabs on Rapunzel as it was; but having her in public with this many people made it nearly impossible.

"What about Mister Rider?"

Rapunzel kept forcing her way through the throngs of Coronan citizens. She giggled reassuringly as she yelled back over her shoulder. "Just one dance; he'll understand."

Sarah was doing her best to keep Rapunzel within view during the pursuit. She helplessly bumped in to strangers who looked at her confoundedly. "Miss Rapunzel, you must wait!"

The princess disappeared in to the crowd. Panic descended upon Sarah as she rushed to recover a visual of her highness.

Sarah arrived at the dance circle. When she didn't see Rapunzel in the circle, her eyes raced to catch a glimpse of a royal blue dress among the spectators. To her relief and slight astonishment, Rapunzel was standing outside of the spontaneously formed dance floor –watching.

She made her way to the princess who smiled onward at the group of dancing people. Rapunzel appeared to be in a trance; her head tilted slightly to the side in mesmerization at the sight before her. The maid's confusion only lasted only seconds until she understood who she was looking at.

Amongst the dancers, she had spotted Eugene dancing to the cheerful tune played the trio of flute, fiddle, and mandolin. He was bent over slightly to accommodate his reach to his partner, a young girl with mangy brown hair. A smile beamed from the girl's face; laughter from his as they twirled around the circle.

The song came to an end and the people watching applauded the show. Eugene gripped the hand of the little girl and walked over in Rapunzel's direction. She fought back a small tear as she beheld the tender sight.

"Thank you, Miss Daniella, for asking me to dance! I was too scared to ask you myself." Eugene knelt and smiled at the girl's mother standing next to Rapunzel, whose own face beamed with appreciation. The girl's cheeks became rosy red, and she buried part of her face in to the side of her mother.

"Are you going to dance with her now?" She pointed up at Rapunzel.

Eugene smiled casually, and shot a knowing glance at Rapunzel before answering the girl's question. "Do you think I should?"

"Don't be scared." The girl leaned in closely to Eugene and started to whisper into his ear. "The princess is really pretty!"

Her whispers, though meant to be secretive, were audible to Rapunzel who stood by grinning.

"If you say so!" Eugene stood and offered his hand to Rapunzel. Another cheerful medley played as he bowed before her politely. "My lady, may I have this dance?"

Rapunzel giggled. "You may."

The two snickered with each other as they twirled off with each other to the guiding sound of the music. Eugene twirled her around with his finger in to his chest, and then spun her away from him letting go of her hand.

Other dancers gradually began to stop and watch the two shuffle to the music in supreme harmony. Their feet tapped in perfect rhythm with every note that whistled and sang from the musicians' instruments.

One of his hands gently held one of hers, interlocking his fingers with hers like the stitched seams of a finely sewn blanket. His other hand rested on the small of her back, while her free hand laid like a feather on one of his broad, brawny shoulders.

The frequency of the notes heightened, the tune was about to reach its climax. Rapunzel twirled towards Eugene who tapped in place. She lowered her arms from above her head and gracefully placed them on her hips. The final notes sang in explosive succession as the song reached its sudden finale. Eugene caught the spiraling princess and leaned her back in the gentle, sturdy hold of his arms. She clasped her hands lightly around the nape of his neck as she radiated a brilliant smile.

He gazed into her eyes with a similar gleam. They looked like two stars that had been plucked from the night sky and placed in to her angelic countenance; his were soft and tender to stare into, looking in to them bore the resemblance of placing her head on a brand new pillow.

The lovers were entranced by each other's gaze; they didn't even realize the crowd cheering for their performance. They stood and bowed gratefully as they maneuvered themselves back in to the crowd of people. A new song chimed from the fiddle and flute as more people reentered the circle to continue dancing.

"Thank you for the dance, your highness!" Her face held a playfully stoic expression. Truthfully, more girly giggles pressed against the interior of her lips waiting to burst forth like water pressuring to rupture a frail levee.

"You're most welcome, noble sir!"

Eugene's resolve to withhold his delight faltered; a hearty chuckle burst forth from his mouth. Rapunzel could no longer contain herself. Her determination crumbled as well as the two laughed with each other amongst the crowd, oblivious to the stares of surrounding onlookers.

From behind the palace, shining projectiles were hurled up in to the air high above the city. When they reached their desired apex in flight the lights vanished from sight and then exploded in to an array of colors and shapes. After the boom, the remaining particles glittered like the stars that dotted the back drop of the night sky.

"The fireworks are starting," said Eugene gazing up at the sky. An idea struck him as he smiled at Rapunzel. "Let's get a treat and find some place to watch them!"

The princess' eyes radiated like one of the firework that were being launched. She hunched forward and bowed her arms close to her chest, literally trying to restrain her joy that would otherwise cause her to combust and sparkle. "Oh…my…gosh. Eugene, this is so EXCITING!"

Eugene stroked her shoulders to help soothe her building joy. "Okay, okay, me too! We can have your maid, the one that follows you around and always forgets my name."

"Sarah?"

"Yes her!" Eugene pointed his index affirming, Rapunzel's answer. "You can have her fetch a snack while we wait for her."

He looked around amongst the crowd, but at first glance she was nowhere near the princess. "Where is she, anyways?"

Their heads pivoted, searching through the crowd to find the maid that eluded their vision.

Rapunzel felt a tap on her shoulder. Pascal's finger poked her clavicle and pointed like a hound ready to flush a pheasant from the shrubbery. Across the street, Sarah leaned against a lamppost coquetting with a man bearing a metal breast plate emblazoned with the kingdom's national emblem: the sun.

"Well, well," began Eugene. "Looks like you're not the only one keeping her hands full!"

Rapunzel glared and playfully punched him in the shoulder. He rubbed his shoulder as if she had bruised him, to which she grinned with content.

"We'll leave her alone. I think I saw a man selling pudding a few blocks back. Wait here and I'll be right back." Eugene held her hand to his chest with the gentle touch and care of child holding its teddy bear in the night. He pressed his lips to the back of her palm and let his fingers slip gently from hers as he backpedaled in to the crowd.

Typically, the exuberate princess would allow her innocent, yet untamed desires run wild in the streets as she sought to experience everything the party had to offer. However, due to her eagerness for Eugene's return, all she could really do – and momentarily desired to – was find the nearest seat where she could await his return.

She spotted a vacant wooden bench much like the one she stood on moments earlier. After smoothing her dress snuggly to her backside and thighs, she sat properly with her hands on her lap while she simply watched her people amidst their felicity.

Lanterns hung from cables suspended from houses on both sides of the streets, illuminating the party unfolding below. Many second story windows provided a look-in to the people who had invited the celebration off the streets and in to their homes. In one window adolescent women waved flirtatiously to some young men passing by on the sidewalk. Another window yielded three men holding pints of ale out the window while they slurred joyous chantey.

A beggar that Rapunzel often stopped to talk to on the way to the market was dancing with a middle aged woman. He swerved and bumped in to strangers as they passed by; he even crashed face first in to the woman's chest at one point. The princess blushed for her; though the man was kind, such a mishap would cause Rapunzel utter mortification. Either he was an awful dancer, or he too had indulged himself in the fool's drinks being sold in the pubs.

What puzzled her was the forgiving nature of the woman during this incident. Rather than become angry or embarrassed, the woman laughed and held him by his shoulders to prevent him from stumbling to and fro as she continued to dance with him. This small act of kindness caused a small, covert grin to creep across the princess' face.

Her eyes darted around to children playing with each other, a boy playing with his dog, various groups of people singing and dancing with each other. For a princess that adored watching ducklings swim about with their mother in a pond, such pandemonium elated her spirit to heavenly levels that caused her heart sing an angelic chorus. Her return to the kingdom had been the cause of this joy; what the people didn't know is that their joy generated such a profound happiness in her heart that it was only rivaled by the celestial experience of seeing the lanterns on her 18th birthday and falling in love with Eugene.

Amidst Rapunzel's reverie, the growing sound of hooves clopping against the cobblestone stirred her from her wondering thoughts. Accompanying the incoming horses was a man yelling a phrase that was incoherent amongst the buzz of the crowd.

Sticking out above the people populating the street was the Coronan flag being born by one man on horseback. Another man just next to him brandished a flag flying slightly lower than the Coronan: the silhouette of a silver lion, embroidered against a solid black cloth.

She could now make out the words of the shouting man. "Make way for the Duke of Florencia! Make way for the Duke of Florencia!"

Five horses in all made their way through the crowd. People stepped to the side creating a walkway for the proclaimed noble. Not far from where she sat on her bench, the party of brutes and their horsemen came to a halt. One man sat on a horse in the middle of the other four horses; two on each side and one on his front and rear. The man in the middle dismounted and stood in the middle of the circle of onlookers which now surrounded him and his men.

The commotion of the crowd dissipated to that of a low murmur; the music that had previously been playing in this section of the street discontinued was muted. The bursting of the fireworks and commotion down the street could still be heard.

The duke was a tall man. He wore a silver breast plate and black and red cloth, like the color of Florencia's flag. Long blonde hair hung down to his broad, bulky shoulders. A few women whispered to each other, secretly marveling the strong physique and aura of confidence that emanated from his presence and seemed to linger in the air around him.

A small, haughty grin tugged at the edge of his lips. Rapunzel watched on a bit perplexed herself by the situation. His eyes unexpectedly met with hers; the perpetuating swagger that glowed in his eyes seemed to escape her comprehension.

After panning around at the dumbfounded crowd, he lifted his arms above his head as if he were about to speak.

"People of Corona, why do you pause your celebration for me?" He glanced at a couple of musicians holding their instruments to their bosom as if they were protectively clutching children. "You there, play your music. I wish to celebrate with you!"

The musicians looked at each other as if they themselves were wondering why they even stopped in the first place. They ensued their playing, prompting the vexed citizens to continue their celebration.

A couple of women were obviously impressed by the duke. They skipped up to him and pulled him in for a dance. He twirled one around and then moved to the next, giving each an equal amount of time to indulge themselves in his presence.

Even as he danced with the women in the street, Rapunzel couldn't help but notice his eyes wandering back in her direction. She found it odd that a man she'd never met would continue staring at her in such a perplexing manner.

He maneuvered gracefully through these women that descended upon him like hoards of quail, when they rush to bread crumbs tossed on the ground for their consumption. Finally, he approached Rapunzel bowed politely before her.

"Your highness, it is an honor to finally be in your presence!" He tilted his face upward while he continued to bow, sporting a suave grin.

"It's nice to meet you too!" She offered a warm, genuine smile and handshake. His face twitched. He resisted responding with a queer expression to the informal greeting. Rapunzel immediately corrected her slip in formality. "Excuse me. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance as well noble sir, Duke of Florencia!"

He placed his hand over his heart and nodded graciously, standing up to tower over her once more. "Call me Marcus!"

He paused for a moment, clearing his throat.

"You know I was worried that when I arrived it would be difficult to find you. I imagined you would be very busy. Turns out it was much easier to find you than I thought!" Another charming smile grew on his face.

Rapunzel laughed politely. He seemed like a nice man. "I usually am. But I like to get out once and while too!"

He chuckled. "So I see. I actually didn't expect to see you in the streets this evening! But then I saw you while we were riding and recognized you immediately!"

Rapunzel laughed once more while she pointed a dainty finger toward the crown on her head. "This probably helped."

His smile disappeared, his eyes became sincere. "Not exactly. I saw your smile." His lips puckered in a flirty fashion. "It's just like your mothers!"

Pascal, who sat perched on her shoulder concealed by her long brown hair, could do nothing but bury his face into his palm and shake his head. _This guy's a schmuck._

"Thank you. Everyone says that I look so much like her, but papa insists that I still have his eyes even though I don't." A small giggle escaped her lips as she thought of the King's humorously vain conviction that she possessed one of his traits.

"No," Marco interrupted. "Your eyes are one of a kind!"

Rapunzel smiled with appreciation.

"Oh my goodness, thank you!" Rapunzel's voice lowered to a sneaky tone. "I secretly think so too!"

He smiled as he took a seat next to her on the bench. His charm was working yet again. It was a method that fused wit with doting charm, so flawlessly executed that in a matter of minutes even the most steadfast women would claw for the chance to find themselves in his arms.

"I have not met anyone who can do this with their eyes!" Her eyes widened like saucers, and Marcus flinched in terror as her pupils began to wiggle back and forth spastically like a hostile rattlesnake's tail.

She giggled with satisfaction. "Isn't that weird?"

The Duke recomposed his self; he fought to withhold his astonishment. "Yes. Indeed it is strange!"

A mischievous grin wiggled across his face as his shock was replaced by a good idea. He chose to play along with her unorthodox manners.

"I guess I have a thumb that's one of a kind then!" He lifted his palm to her face; the knuckle at the base of his thumb began disconnecting and reconnecting with its socket in the metacarpus.

She shrieked and her face contorted in disgust as she began to burst in to laughter. "That is so cool, and gross!"

After forcing his way through the crowd, Eugene had finally returned from retrieving his treats for Rapunzel and him – a small bag of apples. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed Rapunzel laughing with a man who was clearly intent on wooing her. Eugene knew the look the man was giving her. He had seen it many times before. He had used it himself. He clenched his jaw and his eyes narrowed; visions of running over and hitting the man under the chin flashed through his mind. Rapunzel wouldn't be happy if he did, though, so he swallowed his pride and vowed to behave as chivalrously as possible.

Marcus laughed as well. He glanced at the people dancing, and then looked back at Rapunzel. "Well now that we got that out of the way, I'd like to cut to the chase by saying that you're absolutely stunning and that I am interested in dancing with you!"

Rapunzel smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I appreciate the offer, but I'm actually waiting for someone!"

A curious look formed on his face, but he remained poised. He liked when women played hard to get. "He must be a good man then, if a woman of your divinity is waiting on him."

Rapunzel nodded dreamily and sighed. "He is!"

The princess felt a pair of hands gently stroking her shoulders.

"I'm back," said Eugene.

She whirled around in excitement and wrapped him in a warm hug. A small feeling of victory arose in Eugene's heart at this gesture. _Take that Casanova_.

"Eugene! This is Marcus, the Duke of Florencia," Rapunzel said, indicating her friend on the bench.

Suddenly, Eugene was thankful that he didn't fulfill his fantasy of blasting the man with an uppercut. That would have surely ended any hopes of becoming a full citizen again in literally a single blow. His disdain, however, for the man remained.

"Pleased to meet you!" Eugene smiled as politely as he could. "I'm Eug-"

"I know you," Marcus interrupted. "Flynn Rider, is it?"

Eugene began to nod as Rapunzel cut in with a smile. "His actual name is Eugene Fitzherbert!"

Marcus nodded in understanding. A smug grin was etched upon his lips. "Yes the notorious bandit. I must say that your nose is much better in person than it was on those posters." The desire to physically assault the man was rekindled in Eugene. "May I ask what the apples are for?"

Eugene's eyes drooped somewhat. He suddenly was ashamed that he couldn't afford a more suitable treat. Rapunzel's eyes gleamed as she peered in to the back and back at the Duke. "He bought a treat for us while we watched fireworks!" Her gleaming face shined up at Eugene. "Did you not find the man selling pudding?"

When he found out how much it cost, Eugene realized he couldn't afford the pudding. His miniscule wages weren't enough to cover the expense tonight, and the Duke knew it too. A small, dark grin formed on Marcus' face at this observation.

He lied to her. "He was out when I got there!"

Rapunzel shrugged off the misfortune with no thought and looked once more at the juicy apples in the sack.

"It's good to see you're truly removed from your old ways. Living within your means is something many people struggle with." The Duke's tone sounded sincere, but Eugene could read between the lines. Many years on the street made him adept to reading people and the most subtle of clues. He could sense the statements sarcastic intent. Eugene only offered a small, sarcastic smile in return.

Rapunzel, unaware of the chauvinist mind games being played at this moment, glanced up at Eugene with an excited grin. "Let's go!"

"Yes, don't let me hold you up. I have business with the King anyways. Your highness, it was a pleasure." Marcus kissed her lightly on the back of her hand. He turned his gaze to Eugene and offered another smug glance. "Take care Mister Rider – excuse me – Eugene!"

The two parties went their separate ways; the duke and his men to the palace of the King and Queen, and the lovers to the palace garden.

Rapunzel held Eugene's hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Isn't he nice, Eugene?"

A disgruntled expression had formed on Eugene's face. "Charming."


	4. A Looming Threat

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been keeping track of this story and/or left reviews. It really motivates me to keep going and put forth a good effort. Here's chapter four. There is a lot going on in this chapter. As of right now I haven't started the next chapter. I know what will happen I have just been going back lately and editing the past couple of chapters before posting them. Don't worry, after a few days chapter five should be up :)_

_Thanks again and enjoy!_

**Chapter Five**

**A Looming Threat**

* * *

><p>Eugene's arm draped over Rapunzel's shoulder as they gazed at the glittering lights fluttering down from the night sky. They sat next to each other in the grass, despite the abundance stone benches that decorated the garden; Rapunzel insisted that the grass was more comfortable. A diverse number of plants and flowers colored the garden; filling the air with a fragrance that excited the olfactory like honey's touch to the palate.<p>

He peered over at the core of her finished apple perched between her thumb and middle finger, each finger supporting opposite ends of the fruit's remains. Her eyes twinkled; whether it was because of her natural beauty or the fireworks he wasn't sure.

While marveling at her beauty, Eugene pondered the magnitude of her day. He wondered what it felt like to stand before thousands of people and be named heir to the throne Corona. He thought about the suitors she had met that morning; about the man she was talking to in the street no to long ago. He tried to ignore his concerns, silently ridiculing himself for such nonsense. Still, his mind lingered on how Rapunzel might have responded to their noble charm. Was she impressed?

She was a member of the royal family, and subsequently the recipient of every nobleman's affection. Her beauty alone was enough to attract any man's fancy, but being princess had a magnetic effect to any power hungry Lord within reach of her. Together those components outgunned Eugene: a former outlaw who worked as a stable hand shoveling manure.

"Are you ready to go?" Rapunzel's voice stirred Eugene from his self-loathsome daydream. Her voice was soft and eyes were starting to glaze. The long, eventful day was finally catching up to her and it wouldn't be long before she was sleeping soundly in a comatose state.

He affirmed her query with a nod and lifted her to her feet. Together they began to weave their way through the maze of the garden toward the entrance of the east wing of the palace. Her arms wrapped gently around one of his while resting her head on his shoulder.

For a moment they said nothing to each other. Rapunzel hummed a soft tune to herself while her fingers gently massaged his bicep. Eugene's mind continued to brawl with the onslaught of worrisome thoughts. He wished to voice his concerns, but didn't know where to start and didn't want to be seen as jealous.

"So, I never really asked you how your day went," he began.

Her humming stopped; a sigh of relief followed. "It was amazing," she said softly.

It was rare that Eugene had to exert effort in prodding information from Rapunzel about her day. Always to his pleasure, she would share the minutest of details from her life. Things like seeing a butterfly, playing with a puppy, or the laughter a baby; things that were normally overlooked were of prime importance to Rapunzel's excitement.

He swallowed nervously and continued to tactfully pull back the layers concealing the answer to his curiosity. "Anything – interesting – happen?"

She giggled. "Oh nothing to big really; I was only made princess of Corona." Her teasing was apparent even through the growing drowsiness that hung in her voice.

A small chuckle escaped from Eugene's lips. Not so much because of her sarcasm, which he thought was cute nonetheless, but because he knew the objective for asking this question would be harder to come by. He took another breath as he summoned the courage to cut to the chase.

"So…how was breakfast with your visitors this morning?" Eugene winced, as if simply asking the question was like having a whip lashed across his back.

"Oh they were very nice," she replied, seemingly unaware of Eugene's intentions. "I liked them."

_She liked them? Of course she liked them. What's not to love about rich and handsome Casanovas filling her ears with poetic compliments, most likely_ _in the flirtatious tones of foreign languages they had acquired in their travels_?

Her answers did nothing but further disturb his thoughts. He pictured those schmucks stealing glances and winking across the table at her while her father wasn't watching. He saw her winking back. He needed to know what happened, some indication of what she really thought of them.

His answer didn't come. Her humming ensued. So tired was she that his inquisition's intent did not even register with her. Eugene did not push the issue. He chose against troubling her with such selfish concerns after one of the best days of her life. He would wait until the time was right.

Together they walked up the steps to the east wing. They stopped outside of the door, where Eugene would bid her a good night. She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso and rested her head against his chest; he felt like a teddy bear in the embrace of child. He loved the tingle of her touch; his knees nearly buckled every time her body brushed against his. He placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips causing her heart to flutter; her eyes gleamed like the diamonds on her crown. Eugene bid her farewell and watched her until she vanished behind thick wooden doors of the palace.

* * *

><p>It had been several years since Marcus had last been in the Palace of Corona, since his eyes observed the tall stone columns that reached to the ceiling high above the shiny marble floor. Various paintings of sovereigns from years past hung from the walls.<p>

The throne room was shaped like a large rectangle. It was about twenty yards wide and thirty lengthwise. There was no doubt that the ceilings were over fifty feet high. A thin red carpet laid across the floor extended from the large double doors all the way to the footsteps that elevated the King's throne above the rest of the room.

After checking to make sure none were watching him, Marcus ventured up the steps and stood next the throne. It was designed with soft, velvet red cushions and find gold that decorated the outer skeleton of the chair. At the top of the chair above the headrest, a phrase in cursive lettering was inscribed in the gold: _A Servant of the People_.

Marcus' eyebrow stood up and arched on his forehead in perplexity.

Footsteps could be heard down the hallway, each step louder than the last. He spun quickly when the echo of footsteps stopped in the doorway.

"Marcus!" The king stood in the expanse of the room with a warm smile, like that of a father greeting his son. "I'm ecstatic that you could make it!"

A crooked, suave smile formed on Marcus' lips. "How could I turn down such an invitation from a friend?"

The king came towards Marcus and rapped his hand on the duke's armor plated shoulder; Marcus rested his own hand on the king's burly shoulder a few inches higher than his own. "It's good to see you again! You're father would be proud of the leader you're becoming!"

Marcus nodded with appreciation. "You were a dear friend of his, Richard. I can only hope my efforts will match his in your eyes."

Richard smirked and his eyes glowed. "It's like he's never left."

The king paused and then tapped him twice more on the shoulder. "Come now, you must be hungry."

They started off down the hall toward the royal dining room, strolling next to each other while they conversed about stories that had occurred in their time apart from each other, politics, and other such matters.

"I must thank you again for travelling to celebrate the coronation of my daughter." The king's heartfelt appreciation, and excitement for his daughter, overflowed from his countenance. "We're so excited to have her in our lives again."

"As you should be. It is a relief to know that the line of the crown may be preserved for future generations."

The king chuckled. "That is certainly an enormous relief. I'm just thankful to see my beloved daughter's smile again."

"Even more the reason to celebrate," Marcus replied.

The king paused and turned to face the duke with sincerity. "Marcus," he began. "I would greatly appreciate it if you met my daughter. I do not want to marry her yet. But you're a strong, respectable man. I would like a man like you to be her husband someday."

Marcus smiled politely. He could not deny that she was beautiful, but concealed how attractive he thought she was in front of the king; at most his face betrayed mild interest.

"She's quite the young woman," Marcus replied.

Astonishment formed in the king's face. "So you've already met her?"

Marcus nodded.

"I'm sorry I was not able to introduce you formally. She's actually much harder to keep track of than you may think." The king chuckled admiringly as he thought of his daughter, who at times was very much still a child at heart.

"That's quite alright. We were able talk for a moment until Flynn Rider ran off with her. She has quite the personality."

The King smirked. "Yes, she's smitten by him. No more than any young girl with their first crush. My wife and I encourage it for now, but eventually she'll be ready for a husband."

Marcus nodded politely once more and offered a small grin. "We have plenty of time to cross that bridge."

Marcus paused as he shifted his tone to one of seriousness. "However, my Lord, in addition to tomorrow's ball, there is an urgent reason as to why I have come. I would like to bring it to your attention if you have the time."

The king obliged and motioned for him to follow. Together they entered the king's office, which was more like a small library with its tall book shelves that lined the walls of the room. The room's floor was covered with soft red carpet and decorated with elaborate furniture and paintings. He nestled in to a chair and invited Marcus to do the same. Two Palace guards stood at the door along with Marcus' four men.

"So," the king began. "What would like to speak with me about?"

Marcus drew in a breath and leaned forward in his chair. "I assume that you have heard reports of an Army moving from the east?"

"Yes, there have been rumors that the army from Elona is becoming ambitious," the King replied, unsurprised by the duke's query. "They've always been a violent bunch with an unquenchable to desire to expand their territory, but have failed in just about every campaign."

Marcus pursed his lips while the King nonchalantly downplayed the reality of the Elonanian threat.

"Their problem is they've never had either a leader to unite the country, or a strong ally. You don't make many friends when you're always picking fights with people."

The king's sardonic tone didn't quell the intensity in Marcus' eyes. "But my Lord, in the past few weeks my scouts have come back with reports that the army is growing. They are massing quickly on the Messinian border and it's my opinion that if we do not act soon we, as well as our allies, may be caught unprepared."

"I have already heard such reports, Marcus," the king said reassuringly as he leaned back in his chair. "I have already dispatched a few thousand of our men to aid the Messinian effort. Elona does not have the resources or the military strength to extend a campaign far in to Messina, much less our country as well."

Marcus wet his lips and leaned in further. "There is more."

The king was mildly perplexed. He waited silently for Marcus to continue.

"My scouts are now bringing me reports of an army sailing to the eastern shore of the Balion peninsula. They come from beyond the horizon, an army from a land that so far is unknown to us."

Marcus paused once more, to make sure the king had understood to this point what he was saying.

"The colors they fly are black, nothing more. My scouts call them the Black Army.

"My men say they are at least twenty-thousand strong, and ships come in every week with more troops. I fear, my Lord, the hour for preparation has already grown late. We need to reach out to our neighbors and unite with them. If we stand separate in a fight with this foe we will be overrun."

The king's poise began to fade from his expression, and was replaced with concern. He stood from his chair and paced to and fro as he pondered Marcus' words.

"How is it that your scouts have picked this information up and mine haven not? Why hasn't Messina informed us of the foreigners?"

"With all due respect Richard, we are the nearest province to Messina," the duke replied. "We are able to spend a more concerted effort investigating that region while your scouts must cover a greater territory.

"As for the foreigners, they land on the unpopulated beaches away populated ports. They move under the cover of dark in droves of small boats, while their ships remain off the coast and undetected during the day and night.

"It's only because of my men stumbling upon them while on a patrol that Messina has any idea they are there, mustering in the woods to the north of their country. Since Florencia is a district of Corona and subsequently an ally to Messina, I informed the King immediately and took to the liberty of passing the message to you."

Marcus handed him a signed intelligence report with Messinian king's insignia stamped to the bottom of the paper. It was true after all. War was imminent.

The king's eyes grew heavy with distress. His eyes clamped shut in frustration while he rubbed his head, as if he were trying to massage the headache of such horrible news from his skull. The King was fortunate to spend most of his time on the throne with the comfort of knowing his people wouldn't face the horrors of war. However, it was never his nor any of his predecessor's will to seek diplomacy with those who sought to bring harm on his kingdom; especially when they aligned with an enemy like the Elonians, who were traditionally merciless, even in failed campaigns, to innocent people.

"I will take this information to my advisors, and in the morning we will begin devising logistics send calls for aid to our allies. I will send my own scouts to gain further intelligence in the matter at once."

He collapsed back in to his chair, downtrodden by the burden that came with knowing his people faced an imminent threat.

"Richard," Marcus continued. "If you are willing to hear it, I think I have an idea that may give us the upper hand in our counter measures."

The king forced a reassuring smile. "Of course, please share."

Marcus drew in a breath while he proceeded in his proposal.

"When I was a boy, I once overheard my father speak of a light that fell from the sky many centuries ago; a small, glassy sphere that shined as brilliantly as a star. He said it possessed incredible power that none had ever seen. When I asked him about it he said it was only a legend. But when I heard the news of the foreigners it seems my mind can stop thinking of this object. When I sleep it's there; when I'm awake it's there. I can't help but wonder how such a thing could help us in such a time."

A warm chuckle escaped the king's lips. He moved across the room and stood next to Marcus with a weary, but reassuring grin. "Such a thing wouldn't be helpful, even if it were real."

Marcus wanted to protest, but was cut short before he could utter a word. "If you remember the legend of the Evening Star, you'll recall that its power was too great for any man."

The king stood Marcus up and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't lose hope Marcus, for though no object exists to aid us in the dark times ahead, we do not need one."

He placed a hand over the duke's chest shielded by his silver breastplate. "We have this; don't doubt the contents found here."

The king smiled once more. "Prayer and courage alone give a man the strength to persevere."

The words of the king did little to settle the Duke's agitation. He objected the claim that such power didn't exist. He insisted that measures be taken to find the fallen star. Only out of respect for the king was he able to hold his tongue.

After another encouraging glance, the King invited Marcus and his men to help themselves to dinner before being shown to their sleeping quarters within the royal guest's wing of the palace.

"I will see you in the morning, Marcus." The king bid him farewell for the evening and exited the office.

Under the guidance of a palace servant, Marcus and his men exited as well and journeyed to their sleeping quarters.

* * *

><p>The bristles of the comb running through Max's mane made him whinny in appreciation. He stood proudly in his stall while Eugene brushed him, munching on some oats that his keeper had brought in a bucket. Max and Eugene saw each other every day in the stable. Max, an elite horse in the King's cavalry, often nudged Eugene playfully while he slaved away at his menial low-pay tasks. Eugene accepted this joking. Not because it would be bad to retaliate, but he and Max were actually forming a friendship despite their initial hate for each other.<p>

Max felt Eugene fingers massaging the skin underneath his jaw. His feat stomped and several whinnies shrieked from his throat; his eyes rotated to the back of his skull. A small grin tugged at Eugene's lips as he stroked Max's favorite spot. This warrior horse twitched and shuddered as if he were suffering an epileptic fit every time Eugene obliged to scratch his chin.

"I know you like that," Eugene said in a friendly tone. Max snorted one last time as his euphoria dwindled. The stall keeper packed the horse's grooming kit and closed the stall behind him. "Have a good night Max."

The stable itself was massive. It was two stories high, with enough stalls to hold one hundred of the king's finest horses. The upper level was a massive storage facility, where bales of hay were stacked six times all the way to the ceiling at its full capacity. In the paved aisle way that ran down the middle of the stable between the rows of stalls, a barrel of water and a trunk made of oak was placed in front of each horse's stall. In this trunk was where the horses' custom fitted, leather saddles were stored after being cleaned and inspected; along with halters and ties used for leading the horses to the arena and grazing pastures.

After stowing the grooming kit back in to its trunk, Eugene heard Max snorting once more from his stall. The horse's gaze pointed at the wooden trough, which was nearly vacant of any water. Eugene asked if he wanted more water. As if he didn't know already.

Max whinnied, affirming his question.

Lifting a bucket from the ground next to Max's stall, Eugene began to scoop water from the barrel adjacent to the trunk. For a reason he wasn't sure of, he stopped before he submerging the pale to observe his reflection.

Dirt and grime covered his face, evidence of the late night of work he had put in after spending all day celebrating with the princess. Work still had to be done. While she drifted off to sleep after a wonderful day, Eugene was back in his ragged workers clothes laboring in the late hours of the night so he could still earn a halfway decent wage.

Tomorrow was the royal ball that only by Rapunzel's grace he was attending. Even there it would be hard to get any alone time with her. The king and queen would be introducing her to allies and friends of the family. The suitors from today plus many more would be chomping at the bit to impress her with their fine clothing, dashing foreign accents, and their many accolades; their body and soul, clean and untainted by any grotesque traits that divide street urchins from nobility.

Eugene dipped his hand in the water and scrubbed his face. The grime so thickly caked his skin that mere hand scrubbing did nothing but smear it.

"What am I going to do," Eugene murmured to his self, bowing his head as sudden grief overcame him.

"Do what, Rider?" The unexpected voice surprised Eugene. He thought maybe his supervisor, the stable manager, had caught him dragging his feet on the job again. His mind raced to think of an excuse, one that would be realistic and save him from pulling more hours for his lapse in effort. To his surprise, it wasn't his boss. It was the man he met in the street: The Duke of Florencia.

"Nothing, my Lord." Eugene was confused by the man's sudden appearance, but still attempted at formality. He dipped the bucket in to the water and poured it in to Max's trough. "I was just talking to myself."

Marcus chuckled snidely. "Talking to oneself is the sign of a distressed mind."

Marcus wore only a dark blue, velvet robe. His armor that had been on him earlier was safely stowed away in his room. His hair was more neatly groomed, cleaned of the grease that had collected in it from a long day of riding horseback. He stood a few inches taller than Eugene, his smile betrayed his condescension of the former outlaw.

"Maybe I just like thinking out loud when I'm alone, my Lord," Eugene replied stolidly. He spoke politely for obvious reasons, but the impassiveness in his tone indicated his disdain that he had already developed for the Duke when they met.

"Which would still be a symptom of a distressed mind." The Duke's reply was accompanied by a smile that appreciated his own wit. "What's eating at you, boy?"

Eugene cringed at the sound of this nickname. He clenched his jaw, mustering every bit of patience to restrain himself in reply to the Duke's insults.

The Duke noticed Eugene's apprehension and grinned once more with satisfaction. "I would say it is I that has your joints locking in irritation."

_Did your psychic tell you that? _ Eugene asked silently.

"You've been a sliver in this kingdom's little finger for several years. How does it feel to be pardoned of your sins, Rider?"

"Fitzherbert," Eugene sneered.

"I'm sorry; I don't mean to be disrespectful. It's just that to me, you're still Flynn Rider."

Marcus turned and ran his fingers up the muzzle of a horse feeding on some hay in its stall. "Do you believe that people can change?"

"Let me guess, you don't."

Marcus chuckled. "I believe that our actions are manifestations of the character within us. Sure, we may be able to discipline ourselves from certain behavior. But no matter how much we hide are faults, that doesn't change who we are.

"You can teach a dog not chase a cat every time one runs by. But you watch that dog. Watch it quiver as its eyes stalk the feline strolling by without a care. Every fiber in its body yearns to pursue the feline. Only the knowledge of a swat on the head and a dreadful scowl from its master keep it from fulfilling its desire. However, it will see many cats in its lifetime. One of these elegant creatures will tempt the mutt beyond its ability to resist."

Eugene stood silently while the Duke lectured.

"Just because you have been pardoned of your sins, doesn't all of sudden change who your heart; who you've been for all these years."

A brief pause commenced between the two men. The duke strolled toward Eugene and stood before him proudly. "What I'm getting at is that I know what's eating you!"

"Are you a mind reader? Because there's no way you could look at me right now to figure that out." Eugene's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"It's the princess." The words stung Eugene's heart. His vigor in resisting the Duke's harassment deflated in an instant. Though he fought the urge to manifest it, Marcus noticed the heaviness in Eugene's eyes grow.

"I haven't known you long. In fact, before this evening the most I'd heard of you was tales passed on to me from my men."

The Duke paused.

"But I'm no fool. I saw the way you looked at her tonight. You think she's the greatest woman you've ever met.

"But you also know that what I say is true. Though you pretend I am lying, the gloom in your eyes believes me. The princess is of noble birth and will one day rule Corona. You will always be a thief."

Marcus placed a hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"You can't be good enough for her, and you knew it before I ever said it."

Fury swelled in Eugene's veins, every ounce of his being wished to slam a fist so hard in to the Duke's mouth that his servants would have to feed him mashed potatoes and soup for the rest of his life. But, he couldn't bring himself to do it. His rage wanted tear the man to pieces, but he knew the Duke had described his feelings perfectly.

"Rapunzel loves me, and I love her," Eugene replied with a confident grin that he somehow forced upon his face, hiding the doubts looming in his head. "There's no changing that. I'm going to do everything I can to make her happy."

Marcus smiled. "If it helps you sleep at night, sure.

"But, there will come a time where she finds a man that can rule by her side, and love her unlike any other."

"Someone like you, I'm assuming?"

The Duke grinned darkly. He took another step towards Eugene and leaned in closely so that their faces were only inches apart. "I could give her whatever her heart desired; you might be able to afford her an apple for a birthday present."

Muscles twitched in Eugene's cheeks from the profuse clamping of his jaws. The Duke drew up and stepped back. Victory seemed to beam forth from his expression. Not like when a warrior slays a foe, but like an intellectual whose arguments are so strong that they can't be refuted; when a man checkmates another.

"I'll see you around, Rider." The Duke wheeled around on his heels and strolled out of the stable. Eugene watched him the whole way, seething.

When the Duke had vanished from sight, Eugene's anger finally spilled forth. In a fit of rage he kicked the empty water pale that now rested on Max's trunk. The tin bucket struck the pavement walk way, the banging noise seemed to echo throughout the massive stable. The Duke's words were like a demon within that whispered destructive thoughts. It bit in to Eugene's heart with its venomous fangs, filling it with lethal doses of doubt and feelings of inadequacy.

He leaned against the exterior of Max's stall, his hands angrily clutching the lead pipes of the horse's room window.

Max snorted and whinnied, shook his head in vehement agitation. He stamped his feet furiously and even reared to his hind legs. His eyes narrowed and he offered Eugene a sympathetic glower.

He didn't like the Duke, either.


	5. The Ball

_A/N: Thank you to all who have read/and or reviewed this story so far. It makes writing this so much more rewarding knowing that others enjoy it as much as I do. Speaking of which, I'm sorry that I have taken a little bit longer on this new post. I try to update every couple of days, usually 1 or 2 writing and editing combined. Some things came up and I also hit a little bit of a wall. This is the furthest I've ever gone in a story, so naturally a wall was to come at some point. Fortunately for me, I have readers who make my day with reviews and remind me of why I write. So thank you! :)_

_So here's chapter five. Enjoy!_

**Chapter Five**

**The Ball**

* * *

><p>The east wing of the palace was where royalty slept. On the third floor at the end of the main hallway was the master bedroom. Halfway down that hallway was another corridor that led to Rapunzel's chamber. Only once had Eugene seen the inside of it: when Rapunzel had specifically asked that he come see her when she had fallen ill with a cold. Two guards accompanied him, eyeing his every movement, ready to pounce on any false step in Eugene's behavior.<p>

Tonight, Eugene waited on the bench across the hallway from Rapunzel's room. This bench was unlike the ones in the garden. A red velvet cushion rested on it, so soft that Eugene thought it to be more comfortable than his mattress in the staff dormitory. He unconsciously began forming schemes for moving it to his room unnoticed.

He caught himself in this train of thought and shook his head.

_Knock it off, Eugene. You're done with that,_ he scolded silently.

Out the window, the sun had finally set. He and Rapunzel had planned to meet at her room at sundown, at least half an hour ago by now.

Eugene stood and strolled across the carpet hallway. He couldn't hear any sound from outside the room. He pressed his ear against the wooden door, and still there was no apparent noise coming from inside.

He drew up and paced anxiously in front of her door. Each time he passed the door he moved one step further before turning and strolling back in the opposite direction. Eugene stopped when he realized his pacing had led him to the window at the end of the princess' hallway.

The stable hand paused and stared out the window at the night sky. He observed the moon as it passed behind clouds and reappeared after they moved by. The streets below the palace were virtually empty, save for a few pedestrians taking an evening stroll. Compared to the night before, Corona was a ghost town.

He noticed a painting on the wall adjacent to the window. Upon the canvas was colored the picture of a sealed tomb underneath the light of a full moon. Above the entrance was Corona's emblem of the sun, inscribed in the stone.

Eugene tilted his head in confusion. A wry expression formed on his face while he chuckled to himself. He never liked art all that much, that is until he met Rapunzel. Even then it was only her art that he enjoyed. He didn't understand the pleasure in weird, sometimes ugly, pictures with vague meanings.

"Mister Ri-, excuse me. Mister Fitzherbert?" A feminine voice awoke Eugene from his critique on art. He turned to see Rapunzel's maidservant, Sarah, standing in the middle of the hallway.

"The Princess Rapunzel requested that I lead you to the Ball tonight."

Eugene stood confused. "But earlier she asked me to meet her outside of her room, at sundown."

"She's very sorry for the confusion. The king and queen requested that she arrive earlier than she originally anticipated. She was asked to greet some of the early arriving guests. She will meet you there."

Despite his confusion, Eugene heeded to the maid's words and followed her to the ball room.

Eugene didn't realize how nervous he was until they reached the ball room. Everywhere he looked he saw jewelry, fine bright clothing, crowns, and just about any item formed out of gold. Smugness and conceit hung in the air like the lingering stench of a stable. It was the complete opposite of the humble confines of a tavern full of drunken miscreants: a scene he was more accustomed to.

He pushed the discomfort from his mind, and scanned the room for any sight of Rapunzel. When he spotted her she was standing with her mother and father, listening intently as an elderly couple of squat stature chatted with the royal family.

A lovely giggle escaped from Rapunzel mouth. Just seeing her smile momentarily made Eugene forget the displacement he felt in the company of nobles.

The elderly couple parted with a handshake. Rapunzel turned her gaze across the room in Eugene's direction. He raised a hand slightly to catch her attention. This caught her eye, causing her to smile excitedly.

She walked swiftly to meet him at the doorway. As she drew close, Eugene nearly went limp from his astonishing appearance. She wore gold dress held up by her chest. It clung to her torso snugly, and flared out slightly at the waist to the tops of her feet. Her crown sat upon her head, her brunette hair extending from underneath it to the tops of her shoulders. Two small strands of hair were pulled back behind her head and weaved together in the style of a French braid, and rested a layer above the rest of her straightened locks.

"Hi Eugene," she greeted in a low tone, struggling to conceal her enthusiasm. "Sorry I didn't wait for you. I didn't know I was supposed to greet the new arrivals with mother and father as soon as they got here. Look at everyone! Don't they all look beautiful? I'm so excited! This will be so fun!"

Eugene nodded and smiled stupidly while the vivacious princess rambled in her excitement. He was still dumbfounded the angelic visage he beheld standing before him. He mumbled some indecipherable gibberish while struggled to shake himself from his reverie.

"Eugene, are you okay," she asked confoundedly.

After clearing the lump in his throat, he regained his wits and spoke clearly. "Yes. You just look beautiful tonight!"

Rapunzel looked in to his eyes and sensed his sincerity. She smiled and grabbed his hand. "Follow me. I will introduce you to some people!"

The princess led Eugene across the room to several different people conversing with each other. Each person lit up when she wrapped them in a warm embrace. If they were nice, they would offer Eugene a blank stare at best. No doubt his old, notorious reputation still resonated with these people.

She led Eugene to the long refreshment table that stood flush to a wall of the ball room. An older woman clothed in a magnificent red dress came and stood next to the princess to greet her with a warm smile. She hadn't met Rapunzel yet, and identified herself as the Countess Diana.

True to form, Rapunzel greeted her with a hug as they exchanged pleasantries. Eugene couldn't help but think that she was a crabby looking woman.

"This is Eugene," Rapunzel said indicating him. "He is my date for the evening!"

The woman shook his hand with a grim stare. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Pleased to meet you," she said.

Eugene was unnerved by the woman's hair raising scowl. He cleared his throat and did his best to greet her as politely as possible.

"The pleasure is mine," he replied.

A brief silence fell upon the threesome. Eugene twiddled his thumbs behind his back, doing his best to avoid direct eye contact with the crusty old lady.

"Good evening everyone!" Entering the conversation was the queen, terminating the awkward silence. "I do hope that you are enjoying yourself Countess Diana."

The countess' grim appearance lit up when the queen arrived. She replied that she was having a wonderful evening, complimenting her and Rapunzel on their ravishing appearance. For her, Eugene was now nonexistant.

The queen was happy that she appeared to be enjoying herself.

"If you don't mind, I would like to borrow Rapunzel for a moment," said the Queen indicating her daughter.

She turned and faced her daughter with a glint of excitement. "Rapunzel, there is someone that I would like you to meet!"

Rapunzel beamed. "Of course mother!"

She turned to Eugene with a reassuring grin. "I'll be right back, is that alright?"

He babbled incoherently at first, caught off guard by the impulsiveness of her departure. He didn't want to be left to fend for himself amongst the hoard of smug individual that surrounded him. He didn't know what to say and doubted his knowledge of proper etiquette amongst royalty. He was a fish on dry land, completely out of his element.

Despite his fear, it would be wrong to keep her from going with her mother. He quickly gathered himself and smiled back. "Sure thing, I'll wait here."

With a smile Rapunzel ventured off with her mother amidst the gathering of nobles.

Eugene turned back to see Countess Diana scowling at him once more while she sipped wine from her glass. He smiled sheepishly as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He rifled through his thoughts, searching for the perfect conversation starter with someone he had nothing in common with.

Only one thought came in to his head. He tried to think of something more creative, but before he could think of anything else he blurted a generic question concerning a topic he knew nothing about.

"So, how about this economy?"

He offered another sheepish grin and chuckled to lighten the tension.

It didn't work.

The countess' eyes narrowed even more than he previously thought possible.

"I know right? Words can't describe," Eugene quipped. Her face was stolid, immovable. Nothing Eugene said could alter that heart freezing scowl.

Eugene cleared his throat, this time trying a different approach. "So, how long have you known the King and Queen?"

The countess took another sip of her wine, spun around and stamped away from sight.

Eugene slumped in defeat.

After sulking momentarily, he chuckled to himself to shrug off the embarrassment. It was no matter. Rapunzel would be back in a moment. In the meantime he would occupy himself with a snack. If he could entertain himself with food long enough, he could blend in to the hostile environment and remain unnoticed until Rapunzel's return.

He searched the table for some crackers or some veggies to munch on. He began to panic when none of these were being served. All he could see was a variety of dishes, each with a common delicacy that had the appearance of fish eggs.

The smell of caviar pervaded his nostrils. All other scents were drowned beneath the caviar's presence.

On some plates it was served on mother of pearl spoons. On others it was packed in to the little ravines on pieces of sliced celery.

He looked and noticed butler carrying a silver platter. He was serving caviar spread across thin, buttered slices of bread.

_This couldn't be any worse_, Eugene thought.

With no other choice, he picked up one of the pearl spoons and eyed the fish roe with a look of disgust. He sniffed it and cringed at the smell.

He would have put it back, but a noble woman next to him had clearly noticed his reaction to the delicacy. Not wanting to seem rude, Eugene forced the spoonful in to his mouth. He fought the urge to gag as the slimy pods rolled down his throat.

The woman looked at Eugene wide eyed, awestruck by his peculiar behavior.

Eugene forced a smile, which was actually concealed grimace. He hummed and chuckled underneath his pursed lips as if he were enjoying its taste.

"Delicious," he lied.

* * *

><p>The queen gripped her daughter's hand gently in her own. Her pace was swift, so much so that they were weaving their way through the company of guests.<p>

"Who are we meeting," Rapunzel queried while she tried to keep pace.

"You'll see," the queen replied.

Then queen's pace slowed. She composed herself and peered over at Rapunzel. With a discrete grin, she indicated a man with long blonde hair garbed in a robe of deep purple. He was conversing with a fellow noble, a man of older age, who was clearly captivated by his charisma.

Rapunzel had a guess at who this man was. When her mother tapped his shoulder, her suspicions were proven correct.

"Marcus," said the queen placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I would like you to meet my daughter, Rapunzel!"

Marcus smiled politely at the queen. "Rapunzel, it is nice to see you again!"

The King, busy as he was, had forgotten to relay the message to the queen that Rapunzel and Marcus had met the previous evening. The queen was slightly vexed by his response.

Marcus, noticing this, assured that the meeting was wonderful though spontaneous and short-lived. This seemed to diffuse any concern in the queen of botched formality. She smiled and placed her open hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.

"I'll leave you two to one another then," she said before going to speak with another guest nearby.

Rapunzel looked at Marcus. Her eyes glanced over his herculean form that was discernable even through his robed attire. His chiseled jaw and soft blue eyes were strangely appealing. Her eyes caught his as he grinned charmingly at her. She quickly broke eye contact and stared at her finger, which she realized was twirling in her hair. She suddenly felt shy, but was not sure as to the reason.

"I must say, your dress is beautiful," the Duke said.

She giggled coyly. "Well thank you. I feel like it's nothing compared to some of the dresses some of the ladies have come in tonight."

Rapunzel indicated a few women within view with who wore magnificent dresses for the occasion.

He nodded his head and acknowledged her point.

"Perhaps," he replied. "But I think it's the woman in the dress that gives it its beauty."

His eyes met hers and held them. Again, Rapunzel became shy and looked away.

"Thank you," she replied with a blushing smile.

He smirked.

He looked around and caught eye of the vacant balcony outside the ballroom. "Would you like to speak outside?"

Rapunzel thought for a moment. What about Eugene? She remembered that she had left Eugene by himself among a crowd he was uncomfortable with. But she didn't want to offend the Duke by turning down his invitation. He had been so nice to her up to this moment.

After a brief debate with herself, she resolved that she would go with him for a moment then immediately return to Eugene. He could handle few more minutes by himself.

"I would love to," Rapunzel complied with a warm grin.

She turned and walked elegantly to the balcony, followed closely by the Duke.

* * *

><p>Eugene sat at a table with a glass of wine in hand. He stared up at the chandelier that hung from the ceiling above the room, paying no attention to the two noblemen who sat across the table scowling at him.<p>

As he wondered how long it would be until Rapunzel came back for him, the crowd of guests split apart like when pedestrians clear a path for a carriage passing in the street. For a brief moment, the alley through the crowd provided Eugene a clear sight of Rapunzel chatting with the Duke she met on the street the night before. He watched her smile and then walk to the balcony with the Duke.

He quirked a brow and puckered his lips suspiciously. After downing the remaining drops of wine, he set the glass on the table and followed covertly.

* * *

><p>Once out on the porch, Rapunzel propped her elbows on the railing and leaned against it. She stared at the remaining stars that were not yet blanketed behind the steady increase of clouds rolling in from the coast.<p>

Next to her the Duke did the same. For a moment he said nothing. He just watched her as she gazed off in to the night. Finally, he stirred her from her admiration of the night.

"So what does it feel like to be a princess, princess?"

She turned and smiled at he who was already doing the same. "It's an incredible honor. I'm excited to serve my people and make their lives better."

Marcus quirked his brow in a doubting fashion. He chuckled while his eyes wandered away from the conversation.

Flummoxed by this, Rapunzel tilted her head and her chin fell agape. "You don't believe me?"

The Duke composed himself and looked her in the eye with a sincere grin. "I believe that politically correct response is what you may have trained yourself to feel. But I serve as a leader too, Rapunzel."

He paused while scooted a step closer, still leaning against the railing.

"In your heart, you feel something else," he continued.

Her head repositioned itself in its normal upright posture as she became keen to the reason of his bemusement. Her lips twisted as she glanced back at the night sky. She exhaled, unsure of where to begin.

"I'm afraid," she started. "I mean I'm excited too. I love all of the people I have met. I love my etiquette and school teachers helping me. I love being able to see the world. On the surface, life is wonderful!"

She paused and looked at Marcus, searching his eyes for a sign that he was actually listening.

"But," she continued, "I can't help but feel…I don't know…feel like –"

"Like you aren't good enough."

Rapunzel's eyes snapped to Marcus' as if he had literally stolen the words she struggled to find right from her mouth.

"Exactly," she replied, astonished.

Marcus smiled with assurance. "All feel that way at some point. But it is a lie, a lie that manifests itself as humility. The fact is that you come from a royal line, which makes you worthy!"

Rapunzel wasn't comforted by this. She sighed and looked away once more.

The Duke noticed she was still beside herself with doubt. He thought for a moment while he thought of a way to encourage her.

"When I was a boy," he began, "my friends and I used to climb trees. We did it because we were boys; it was fun and it impressed the fellow children. The height one could climb before becoming scared equaled the reverence and appreciation one received.

"Believe it or not, I never used to be as tall or as strong as I am now. In fact, I was the smallest of my friends. I could negotiate a smaller tree with no problem. But the taller the trees were, the harder it was for me to reach branches. My friends always climbed higher than I did.

"One friend, or so I thought, always teased me for this. He would say that I shouldn't even try, because there was no possible way that I could climb with them. This went on for awhile, until finally I couldn't take it anymore."

"What did you do," Rapunzel queried, captivated by his story.

"Well, I stopped climbing with my friends. I climbed with kids who encouraged me; who believed in me despite my drawbacks. Soon I was climbing higher than I ever had before!

"One day, I found the highest fir tree I could find near our town and climbed it until I had nearly reached the top. Word spread and my old friends came to see me higher in that tree than they had ever climbed in their lives."

He paused and scooted so that his side nearly touched Rapunzel's.

"The only thing keeping me from climbing higher was the lies I believed about myself. Yes, I was shorter than the others. But the truth was that I was still capable of climbing with the rest of them. All it took was leaving those who put me down and finding others who supported me. I forgot all feelings of doubt, and I discovered that I was actually better than my old friends."

Rapunzel smiled. His story resonated with her and ignited hope in portions of her heart that were previously controlled by doubt.

Marcus stood up and faced her. He grabbed her dainty hands and held them in his own as he locked his gaze with hers.

"Forget those fearful thoughts and remove any person who would hold you down; who would make you feel weaker than you really are. Then you will become who you were meant to be!"

They continued to gaze in to each other's eyes. Earlier Rapunzel turned away in her shyness. Now she couldn't seem to tear her eyes from him. Why was she so captivated by him?

His eyes flickered with a spark of charm. With his hand, he brushed her hair behind her ear. He cupped the side of her face and he started to lean in.

Suddenly it hit her. He liked her. As his lips inched closer, the more she realized that this whole time she thought he was attractive. Even as guilt overcame her, she could not pull away. Her heart slammed against the inside of her chest as his lips were on the cusp of touching hers. She knew it was wrong, but the whirlwind of emotions stirred in her heart by the Duke's charm seemed to paralyze her from doing what she knew was right.

His lips were preparing to touch hers, when she noticed someone in the corner of her eye. Her worst fear overwhelmed her senses, causing her to pull away and turn her head toward the figure in her peripheral.

Eugene stood in the doorway, numbed from any emotion. He stood expressionless, unsure of how he should react to such a sight. It seemed that he still didn't fully comprehend what his eyes beheld. He didn't want to believe them.

His countenance began to burn with fury. His jaw clenched, his fists balled up tightly so that even his trimmed fingernails began to dig in to the skin of his palm. His eyes briefly met Marcus', who concealed a small smirk at the corner of his mouth.

Eugene's eyes turned to Rapunzel. They were saturated with both absolute fury and utter heartbreak.

Guilt flooded Rapunzel's eyes as she watched him in this distraught state. She wanted to run and hug him, to apologize and to assure him that she loved him and him alone.

Eugene turned and stormed off in anger. Rapunzel freed herself from the Duke's hand, which had held hers through all of this, and pursued him at a brisk pace trying to catch up with him.

Her eyes glazed, barely withholding tears.

"Eugene, wait," she whimpered.


	6. Someone Better

_A/N: Hello again. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and to all those who are reading this story. You're feedback is very encouraging and I'm glad you are liking it :) This is a short chapter, but was very difficult to write. __A few of you mentioned you held vehement indignation for the Duke! I agree, he is a scumbag lol. As much as I love writing him, theres no doubt that he's nothing but trouble. __Also, if you are concerned for our favorite couples' relationship (which a couple have expressed), I will say that we have a long way to go. And things are about to get much worse in the next chapter. But, if things got worse and never got better then we wouldn't really have a story, would we? )_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 6**

**Someone Better**

* * *

><p>"Eugene, Wait!" Rapunzel chased him as he exited the rear of the palace and stomped across the palace courtyard. "Please, listen to me!"<p>

She stopped to rip off the high heeled shoes that hindered her ability to chase him. With shoes in hand, she lifted the hems of her dress high enough so that she could sprint after him. Her dainty feet padded down the steps and across the cobblestone courtyard.

Eugene's pace was constant; he had not slowed to acknowledge Rapunzel's pleas, or sped up to outrun her pursuit.

Rapunzel finally caught up with Eugene, trailing right behind him as he continued to march toward his room.

"Eugene, stop," she pleaded.

He didn't.

Frustrated by her failure to gain his attention, she reached out and snatched his forearm, spinning him halfway to face her. She was terrified by the heinous expression etched upon his face. It was like the grotesque countenance of a malevolent gargoyle. Never, in the time that she'd known him, had Rapunzel seen Eugene filled with such savage intensity.

Her words hid in her throat, afraid to reveal themselves to Eugene's ears. The menacing glower petrified her from speaking.

"Why," she began, her voice faltering, "Why won't you talk to me?"

"What is there to talk about," he snapped. The words growled from his throat with hostility. His eyes burned in to hers.

The words stumbled out of her mouth once more. "I know you are mad. But what just happened is not what you think!"

Eugene's expression didn't shift. He considered her words behind his unwavering glare, then turned and continued walking.

Upset by this, Rapunzel reached forth and grabbed him by the arm once more.

"You're being ridiculous," she protested.

Eugene whirled around in a rage. He clamped her shoulders in his hands with a stern grip, backing her in to the wall of a storage shed.

"_Am I_," he roared. "Am I being ridiculous?"

Her voice failed. All she could do was stare at him, terror stricken.

"I watched you nearly kiss that man!"

Rapunzel paused. Her mind raced to find the best answer, but none was found. All she could think about was Eugene's oppressive and unnerving fury. In a timid reply, she mumbled the only thing she could think of.

"I didn't want to!"

"If you hadn't seen me standing there, you would have kissed him," he retorted.

"It happened so fast. I didn't know he liked me. I promise, Eugene, I didn't want to do it!"

Eugene's chest heaved, his nostrils flared. As angry as he was, he knew a promise from Rapunzel was genuine. The intensity in his face softened. He composed himself, but maintained a firm grip on her shoulders.

"Part of me believes you," he replied. "But the other doesn't, Rapunzel!"

The princess' eyes glazed, her voice whimpered. "You don't believe me?"

"I know you mean it right now. But what about in the future, when more powerful men will want you?"

She composed herself and denied his doubt. "That won't happen. I love you, Eugene. I will love you forever!"

He paused. His eyes drooped with sadness.

"Really," he replied.

"Yes!"

"How long did it take before you almost kissed him?"

Rapunzel opened her mouth, but no words emerged. The question stumped her. The longer she failed to find the answer, the more the tears began to well in her eyes. Her lip quivered; the urge to weep ready to burst forth like a dyke overcome by rushing flood water.

"That's not fair," she replied in a faint, wavering tone.

Eugene clamped his eyes shut, fighting back tears of his own. He reopened them when he composed himself enough to look her in the eye. He looked at the palace, then at his barracks.

"Look where you live," he began. "Look where I live. There's a reason I'm there. You're a princess…"

Eugene's voice faltered.

"…and I'm me."

Rapunzel stared at him with disbelief. "It doesn't have to be that way, Eugene! I can have father change all of that!"

Eugene shook his head. "Kings don't let their daughters marry guys like me."

He paused.

"I was a criminal, Rapunzel. Criminals don't live in palaces, or marry princesses."

Rapunzel sniffled.

"I love you, Rapunzel," Eugene assured in a solemn manner. "Because of you, I want to be a good man again. But no matter how much I try to be better, I can't change who I am."

Eugene lifted his hand and stroked her cheek gently. He brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I can't be who you need me to be."

Eugene paused as his eyes glazed, voice faltered.

"Someday, you will find that man."

Eugene's countenance sank. He released her from his grasp and mustered a sheepish grin. Then turned and sulked off in to the night, tears trickling down his cheeks.

Rapunzel wanted to run after him, but could find no strength in her legs. When he disappeared behind the door of his home, her knees buckled. She collapsed to the ground, tears spilling forth from her eyes as sniffles grew in to unrestrained sobs.

"Eugene. No."

In the middle of the courtyard the princess wept, alone.


	7. Advice and an Unexpected Follower

_A/N: Hello all :) First of all, thank you so much for those of who are reading this story! It is such a blessing that I can't even describe how it feels when I read your reviews about it, positive or negative. I understand some are still concerned about what I'm putting our couple through. As I said to one reader who actually sent me an e-mail, I am not sadistic. I would not put our characters through pain for my pure enjoyment. That being said, the adversity they will face is essential to the story. I, like all of you, love Rapunzel and Eugene. I cannot give away the ending, but as I told said reader in an email, you can trust me :)_

_Thank you for all of the encouragement you have given me by reading this! The feed back - whether it be that someone favorites it, reviews, or simply just reads it in passing - has been way beyond what I expected when I set out on telling this story. I'm sorry that it's been nearly a week since the last chapter post. I'm getting ready to head back to college (later this morning actually) and I've been very busy seeing people. I hope you can forgive me and I'm thankful for your patience :)_

_Enjoy :)_

**Chapter 7**

**Advice and An Unexpected Follower**

* * *

><p>Sarah was concerned when she had searched for Rapunzel at the ball and had not found her. When Rapunzel's mother had not seen her for awhile, she charged her maidservant to find her. The queen couldn't leave the ball without any explanation, such behavior would be scorned as disrespectful; she didn't want to reveal the true explanation, for it would cause a frenzy of concern for Rapunzel's well being.<p>

After failing to discover her whereabouts in the ball room, she went to check the next logical place she could think of: the princess' bedroom.

The maid tapped on the wooden door and called out her lady's name.

"Rapunzel? Are you in there?"

No response.

Sarah sighed. She hoped that Rapunzel was in her room. If she wasn't there, Sarah knew that she could be anywhere. It could take her all night to track the princess down. The maid whispered to herself as she placed her hand on the knob of Rapunzel's room, begging an ambiguous wish-granter that the princess would be inside.

"_Please be here! Please be here!"_

She creaked open the door and peered in to the room. At first, she heard or saw no sign of Rapunzel. Her heart sank, thinking that her wish had not been fulfilled.

Before she turned to leave, she heard a small sniffle from somewhere inside.

"Rapunzel?"

Sarah closed the door and searched the room, following the sound of sniffles as they became more clear. A weight lifted from her heart when she discovered the princess safe in her bedroom. That relief, though, was fleeting, and was replaced by concern as she beheld her highness.

Rapunzel sat on the floor between her bed and the bedroom window. She leaned against the side of her bed, her knees tucked in to her chest while she clutched a large stuffed bear in her arms.

"Rapunzel, where have you been," Sarah asked. "You're parents have been worried sick about you!"

The maid knelt beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Rapunzel looked at up at her. Her eyes were red from incessant weeping. Moist and dry streams of tears coated her cheeks like slimy trails left behind by slugs. Strands of hair jutted out in a disheveled fashion like when she would wake up in the morning before brushing her hair. Pascal curled up at the base of her neck's crook, watching her with a heavy, sympathetic gaze.

"What's the matter?"

Rapunzel wiped her fingers across her eyes. With each breath her chest heaved due to the loss of breath from her crying. Through the sniffles and involuntary gasps for air, she mumbled a response.

"It's all my fault!"

"What is?"

"Eugene."

Sarah's eyes grew. Rapunzel and Eugene had minor disagreements, but those were quickly diffused by Eugene's quick wit or her ability to charm him with her cutest smile and puppy dog eyes.

Tonight was different. It was the first time she'd cried after a fight. Sarah grew angry, assuming Eugene had done something to harm her highness.

"Did he hurt you?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "We had a fight. He thinks I'll leave him!"

The maid furrowed her brows in confusion. "What?"

"The Duke tried to kiss me, and Eugene saw! He thinks he isn't good enough for me!"

Sarah quirked her brow. "The Duke tried to kiss you?"

Hearing this question stung Rapunzel. Just being reminded of the moment pained her. Her face sunk back in to her teddy bear as the sobbing ensued.

Sarah stroked the princess' shoulders; attempting to impart any bit of comfort she was able. Her heart sank for the poor girl.

"Did you want to kiss him," Sarah queried.

"No," Rapunzel shouted. Sarah drew back, surprised by the defensiveness of the princess' response. Rapunzel noticed her shock and softened her tone.

"I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't. I happened so fast."

More tears began to spill forth from Rapunzel's face.

"I never wanted to hurt him!"

Sarah wrapped Rapunzel in a hug. She stroked her head and whispered words of comfort to ease the despondent girl. Tears pooled on her shirt where Rapunzel had buried her face. The muffled sobs dissipated at the hand of Sarah's delicate touch.

"Don't you worry," Sarah began. "All of this will pass."

Rapunzel pulled away and wiped her face. "How? How can Eugene trust me after tonight? What if I do leave him for a richer man?"

"Rapunzel, people who love each other fight like this," Sarah replied. "All you need to do is talk to him."

"I can't," she sniffled. "I tried to tell him I didn't want to kiss Marcus, but he wouldn't listen."

Sarah paused. Her lips puckered and twisted to the corner of her mouth as she brainstormed ideas that would solve Rapunzel's problem.

"Kiss him," Sarah advised.

Bewildered, Rapunzel's head tilted. Her sniffling stopped. "Kiss him?"

Sarah nodded with a clever grin. "Kiss him like you've never kissed him before. He doesn't believe you when you say it; show him that you love him!"

A blank, confused stare remained on the princess' face as she tried to grasp a concept so foreign to her. "But, what if he's still mad at me?"

Sarah smiled as she began scrubbing runny makeup and dried tears from her highness' face. "Rapunzel, you love Eugene don't you?"

Rapunzel nodded.

"Then who cares if he's still mad! Go kiss him until he knows for certain that you'll never kiss another man!"

A light returned to Rapunzel's eyes. At the corner of her lips, a small grin took shape. "Are you sure it will work?"

Sarah reassured her with a smile. "Sweetie, a woman's kiss is the cure for a man's wounded soul. When you kiss him he'll forget that you even fought!"

Rapunzel giggled. She glanced at her shoulder towards Pascal, who blushed so much that his complexion turned a bright red. Renewed with joy, Rapunzel wrapped her maid in a hug. "I think you're right, Sarah!"

"I know I'm right," she replied with a giggle of her own. "Now show him that you'll always love him!"

Rapunzel skipped through the halls of the palace, singing and humming to herself on her way to Eugene's door. She would be seeing him alone, save for Pascal. Sarah bid the princess well wishes, but encouraged her to go ahead without her while she returned to the ball to inform her of Rapunzel's safety. "Once we get to his room, there won't be much for me to do anyways," Sarah joked.

The majority of the palace seemed empty, with the exception of a few palace guards patrolling the hallways. Rapunzel could hear the sound of her dainty feet skipping off the marble floor. After making her way downstairs from the eastwing, and passing through the building's central lobby, she turned down the hallway that would lead her outside to Eugene's home.

While skipping down this hall, Rapunzel thought she heard another pair of feet trailing her. She stopped and turned to see who might be behind her. To her surprise, there was nobody there. Though puzzled by this, she shrugged off the sounds as some mistake to her hearing. She turned back to proceed on her mission.

Upon turning, a man garbed in black armor stood before her. Pascal fell to the floor after leaping in fright. Rapunzel opened her mouth to scream, but it was covered by the man's massive hand.

Before she could run, he pulled her in to his massive frame with an equally impressive arm constricting her movements. She flailed and shrieked from underneath the man's unbreakable grip. The man turned her outward, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

The Duke stood before her with a stoic look on his face.

"You're going with me," he said.

She shrieked as loud as she could, but the sound remained suppressed by the hand clasped over her mouth. She thrashed about, employing any method she could to free herself or call for aid.

Marcus reached in to his pocket and pulled out a thorny plant stem. With a knife he shaved off a thorn from the stem. With the blunt end of the thorn in his fingers, he pressed the point of it in to her wrist.

At first, her thrashing increased to resist being pricked. As seconds passed, though, her eyes grew heavy. Soon her body fell sedated, unable to resist any longer.

The Duke looked at his knights that accompanied him. "She's asleep. Hurry, let's get out!"

Pascal, who had become disoriented in the fall, shook himself from his daze as the Duke and his knights carried away his unconscious friend. His first thought was to run after her. But even he knew that his efforts would be futile. He needed help.

After staggering to his feet, the chameleon dashed off in search of Eugene.

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><p><em>AN: Chapter 8 should be up in the next day or so. I wanted to post them back to back, but it was taking longer than usual so I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer :)_


	8. Invasion and Escape

_A/N: Hello again. Chapter up quick for you after chapter 7. Just a heads up, starting this weeked I will be very busy with preseason training for football. If the time between posts increases just a little bit (maybe 5-7 on average days I suspect), don't think I'm getting lazy haha. I'll just have to make due with less time and a little less energy. However, I think writing should be done in all moods, not just when were happy or have all day to ourselves. As always, thank and hope you enjoy! :)_

**Chapter 8 **

**Invasion and Escape**

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><p>A solitary lantern that hung from the peg next to Max's stall was the only light in the in the stable. Eugene sat on a stool next to the Max, running a brush through its hair. The horse made no noise; did not whinny in ecstasy as the bristles of the comb tickled his skin. He only listened, waiting for Eugene to share what troubled him.<p>

Eugene had tried to sleep. He tossed and turned, his eyes shutting not once. Every time he forced them t close, he saw Rapunzel running and twirling around in a field of wild flowers he had discovered with her during a walk one sunny afternoon. After failing to erase Rapunzel from his thoughts, he admitted to defeat to his insomnia and went to the stable to take his mind off of this.

Max was becoming impatient with the unusual cloud that hung over Eugene's presence. He snorted and shot a glance at Eugene that demanded an exclamation for his gloom.

Eugene paid no attention to this. He continued brushing, entranced by the movement of his hand over the brute's hair.

The horse stamped his hoof in to the ground and turned so that he broke Eugene's touch from his body. He faced the stable hand and grilled with a stern look that posed consequences if his master didn't start talking.

"What," Eugene asked.

Max flapped his lips like when they reached for grass just out of reach on the far side of the pasture fence. Eugene had spent enough time with the horse by now to know this is what he did when he wanted someone to speak.

Eugene rolled his eyes and sighed. "It's Rapunzel. I'm losing her Max."

A whinny shrieked from the horse's throat in protest.

"No disrespect, but I've already had a rough night. I don't need you, a horse, lecturing me about my personal life."

Max didn't press the issue with tantrum; just shook his head in disgust and looked away. He was fond of the princess. Always willing was she to stop by and scratch him on the chin. When she and Eugene rode him in the pasture was when he had the most joy, aside from catching criminals. He loved them both, and scorned any thought of them being separated.

Eugene noted the steed's frustration and tried to reassure him with a pat on the neck. "Don't worry, fleabag. It'll be alright."

This didn't comfort Max. His head hung, distraught, while he nibbled on some hay.

Tiny, scurrying footsteps stirred the downcast companions from their session of grief. Eugene figured it was some mice that roamed the stable at night when its occupants were asleep and no workers were around to threaten them. The pesky rodents were notorious for getting in to the bags of oats and defecating wherever it was possible. They were a thorn in the Eugene's side, as they only created a list of more messes for him to clean. Several times in the past month he had taken measures like setting traps and trying to poison them, only for each attempt failing to eradicate the problem.

Eugene reached for a broom resting against the wall, and readied himself for the rat that would pass by outside of Max's stall at any moment.

The footsteps were right outside of the door. He gripped the wooden shaft of the broom in his palms, clenching it with all of his might. What better way to exercise the demons that haunted him than by delivering a fatal blow to the head of a worthless pest.

To his surprise, Eugene found that the approaching rodent was no rodent at all.

It was Pascal. The sight of the chameleon's green skin restrained Eugene from striking with the broom. The look of anticipation on his face shifted to one of confusion.

"Pascal? What are you doing here?"

Eugene scooped the chameleon in to his hands. He chirped, exasperated and panicked. His arms flailed out of control like those of a lunatic prancing about in the street. Always the reasonable one, Pascal was never the type to lose control of his emotions. He was the perfect balance to the Princess' untamable extroversion. Seeing him in such a frazzled state worried Eugene.

"What's wrong," Eugene asked.

The chameleon stood up and imitated a young girl batting her eye lashes at a lover. Eugene recognized this impersonation with immediate clarity.

"Rapunzel?"

Pascal nodded. He pointed in the crude direction of where her abduction had taken place. He pulled his finger across his throat as if it were a knife.

"She's in trouble?"

Pascal nodded again, chirping and growling in fear for his longtime friend. He hopped up and down, continuing to point in the direction he had last seen her.

Eugene's eyes widened in fright, hearing that she was in trouble ignited his spirit. Adrenaline rushed like the current of rapids through his veins; his skin to tingled from the tips of his toes all the way to the hair on his head. All other thoughts, at this moment, vanished. He felt like he could do anything, and would do anything to help her. Before he could even formulate a plan, he reached for anything in sight that he could use as a weapon and sprinted off.

"Lead the way, Pascal!"

Eugene scooped the chameleon in to his hand and sprinted out of the stable; not even bothering to close the stall door behind him.

From Eugene's shoulder, Pascal directed his partner through the palace courtyard to the hallway where Rapunzel had been kidnapped. There was no sign of her. The two spun in a circle searching for any trace of where she might have been carried.

"Where is she Pascal?"

In the heat of the moment, Pascal panicked and took off for help before seeing where Rapunzel's abductors had taken her. The best he could do was conjecture the most logical escape route. They wouldn't have dragged her through the main lobby at the end of the hall. Even with the few guards on patrol, there was too great a risk of being caught. The same held true if they took her through the courtyard. There had to be another way out of that hallway.

Pascal continued his search along with his partner. There was no sign of any passage or door accessible from the one that they were already in.

As all hope began to fade from the two companions, a shiny object caught Pascal's eye. It was a small, metallic square door, whose surface matched the mural artwork of the wall surrounding it. Its only distinguishing feature was the small creases between the door and its frame. Pascal tapped Eugene on his cheek, pointing towards the obscure door.

The door had been broken open, but was pulled shut enough that it would go unnoticed to the passive observer. Eugene opened it all the way. It was an old garbage chute whose endpoint led waste outside the palace walls.

Being that it was just big enough fit for even a heavy set man, it was only logical that Rapunzel and her captors had used this as their escape route.

Eugene readied to thrust himself down the chute. He took a quick peek at Pascal, making sure he was ready as well. The chameleon dug his claws in to the fabric of Eugene's shirt, ready for a ride through the dark abyss. Seeing this, Eugene placed his feet down the tunnel and lay on his back. He pushed his hands against the top of the pipe, using this to propel him downward.

The chute became pitch black as Eugene coasted away from the entrance. At first, they descended at a sluggish pace. At this rate, by the time the hit they bottom, Rapunzel would be long gone from the palace. To make matters worse, the tunnel could level off and Eugene and Pascal would be stuck.

Such didn't happen. As these concerns arose in Eugene, he hit a drop off in the tunnel. His stomach levitated in his chest. He became weightless. For a second his back broke contact with the chute. He and Pascal were now flying through the sloping channel.

Eugene's body slammed in to the sides of the conduit, each time rapping and punishing his frame. He and Pascal screamed in terror as they rocketed through the tunnel.

The tunnel leveled off. The light of its exit was in sight. The momentum from their descent fired them like an arrow from a crossbow. They shot out of the chute and tumbled to the alley below, landing on a massive pile of garbage.

Down the alleyway, Marcus, two soldiers, two knights, and a squire loaded Rapunzel in to the back of a horse drawn carriage. It was black carriage used to transport prisoners, with its barred windows and structure of thick oak.

Eugene and Pascal's entrance hadn't gone unnoticed. The two alerted Marcus and his fellow kidnappers of their arrival. For a moment, the soldiers were too shocked to do anything. They thought they had escaped unnoticed. They stood, dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond.

Marcus was less surprised. He hopped in to the back of the carriage and locked the door, barking at his stupefied henchmen.

"You three," he shouted toward the common soldiers and squire. "Kill him!" He gestured to the two knights on their horses. "You two, follow us!"

He then turned to his driver. "Commence the attack!"

The driver obeyed this order and placed a fiery tipped arrow on to his bow. He pointed it straight in to the air and fired it like a firework ascending in to the night sky. After firing, he tossed his bow to the side and cracked his whip. The Clydesdales' feet clopped against the street, pulling the carriage out of the alley.

Eugene slid down the embankment of the garbage pile. The two soldiers and squire stood in the narrow alley between him and the carriage.

"Where do you think you're going," asked one soldier.

Eugene lifted his chin towards the carriage turning out of the alley. "Got a ride to catch!"

The soldiers unsheathed their weapons. "Sorry. You're going to miss it," said the other with a ghoulish snicker.

Eugene lifted his weapon, readying himself for the impending fight. The two soldiers stopped in their tracks, and began laughing at him. At first, he didn't understand why. He looked down, and saw a broom and Max's brush in hand.

He looked and observed his enemies while the mocked him. The squire was close to tears from laughing so hard. His eyes were clamped shut and his lungs wheezed, gasping for air.

Eugene took another look at his brush. He cocked it behind his head, and threw it with all of his might.

The brush rocketed through the air, rotating end over end. It was thrown so hard that it hissed as it passed between the soldiers and struck the squire in the head. The squire flopped to the ground, limp as a gutted fish.

The two guards stared at their fallen comrade and malice returned to their faces. Eugene gave a sheepish grin as they marched toward him with swords drawn.

"Do you think I could borrow his sword," he asked indicating the fallen squire. "You know, since he's not using it and all?"

One thrust the tip of his sword at Eugene's gut. Eugene dodged the tip and parried the soldier's attack with the shaft of his broom. The broom stopped the sword from striking him, but almost snapped into two pieces in the process.

Pascal leapt from Eugene's shoulder and crawled up the arm of the enemy. The soldier shrieked like a young girl at the sight of a spider. He flailed his arms about, trying to free himself from chameleon's attack.

This did nothing. Pascal clung to the soldier with all of his might. When he stabilized himself enough to do so, he bit in to the crook of the man's neck.

The soldier howled in pain and swatted the chameleon from his shoulder. Pascal tried to scurry away, but the soldier stepped on his tail. He rose the other foot in preparation to squash the chameleon with the heel of his boot.

Eugene too had been cornered. The second soldier held the tip his weapon to Eugene's neck.

The soldier offered a devilish grin. "Say goodnight!"

Eugene's eye caught Pascal, about to be crushed by the other soldier.

"No," he cried, reaching toward his trapped friend. "Don't hurt him."

Pascal's captor only replied with a fiendish chuckle. He lifted his foot as high as he could. He heaved in a breath just before thrusting downward with all strength. Before he could complete the act, a force collided with him, hurling him through the air and slamming to the ground.

Max, whose stall door had been left open, had set out on his own to find the princess when Pascal had come for Eugene's help. He noticed the two in distress and charged at full speed in to the soldier who intended to kill his chameleon friend.

The other soldier released Eugene and swung his sword at the horse in self-defense. Max reared and stomped his feet in to the feet in to the ground with untamed fury. A whinny shrieked from his throat as he reared back and kicked his hoof in to the soldier's face, rendering him unconscious as he lay on the ground.

Max's chest heaved as he stood over the incapacitated victims of his charge. His nostrils flared and blew air like fire from a dragon.

Eugene stood and scooped Pascal, who was unharmed, into his hand. He stroked Max's neck with affection and wrapped his arms around in a hug.

"Remember when Rapunzel forced you to keep me safe on her birthday, and I said you were a bad horse?"

Max tilted his head, still fuming anger from his skirmish with the lifeless soldiers.

"I lied!"

The horse snorted and bobbed his head in appreciation. He turned and faced the mouth of the alley way, signaling Eugene with a nod mount up on his back. Eugene obliged and sprung on to the steeds back, Pascal once again clinging to his shirt.

Eugene kicked his heels in to Max's side, and the horse sprinted galloped off at full speed.

Chaos was rampant in the streets of Corona. Throngs of soldiers marched up the streets, splitting up in to small platoons to raid houses and businesses. A group a few hundred soldiers rushed the steps of the palace, cutting down outnumbered palace guards who stood in courageously in the doorway. Common citizens fled in horror as soldiers chased them from their homes. Women clutched children to their chest, seeking any shelter from the madness.

A large boulder smashed in to the palace wall. Brick exploded everywhere, littering the street with debris underneath the cloud of dust that had formed during the collision. From the bay that surrounded the city, ships of massive size were mounted with catapults that hurled objects upon the city and crashed in to homes, stores, and anything else on the city's island.

Eugene had stopped Max while he looked for Rapunzel's carriage. Everywhere turned was fire, smoke, and structures exploding while they were crushed under the weight of the boulders falling from the sky. Women and children cried in horror. Men desperately fought invaders of their homes. Soldiers, who had been caught by surprise with this attack, attempted to form ranks and counter with a worthy fight. Their fight was at best a disoriented effort, and stood no chance against the disciplined and more aptly prepared enemy. They were cut down and forced to retreat every time they tried to make a stand.

Down one street, Eugene spotted the carriage amidst the throngs of panicking civilians. He pointed Max and galloped off in pursuit, yelling at people in his path to get out of the way.

Marcus, from inside the confines of his carriage, saw the white horse and his rider barreling down on top of him and his men.

"Kill him," Marcus growled at the knight riding beside. "Don't come back until you do."

The two knights halted on their brutes and faced Eugene. They lowered their lances and charged.

Eugene yanked on Max's mane, bringing him to a skidding stop. The knights remained in their charge at full speed. Together, Eugene Max veered off in to a narrow alley on the side of the street.

The alley was a dead end. They were trapped between the lances of the knights, and the brick wall behind them. The only way out was through the doors to people's homes, too small for Max to fit in.

Eugene dismounted from the horses back. "Meet me at the docks!"

He rammed his shoulder in to a door nearby. The knights had stopped and dismounted as well, sprinting towards him. The lock to the door broke, followed by Eugene stumbling in to the room. A woman clutched her children to her bosom, shrieking in fear.

Eugene stumbled to his feet and sprinted upstairs. The knights ran through the door with swords in hand, not even noticing the woman and her children.

At the top of the stairs, there was a small bedroom with a single window. Eugene darted toward the window, hesitating to step out while he sought for an escape route. Staying in the room was no choice. He would be discovered with no effort, being that there was no other way out of the room other than the window.

The window sill protruded just far enough outward for Eugene to gain solid footing. He stepped on to the oak sill and jumped toward the roof's edge. His fingers barely caught a grip of the roof. They strained to maintain a grip while Eugene kicked his legs up the side of the wall.

Two heads poked out of the window had pulled his self over the top of the roof. The first of the knights followed suit, using his superior height and incredible strength to pull his self up with ease.

He had counted on Eugene sprinting off as soon as he was on the rooftop. His head poked above edge of the rooftop like a gopher from its hole, only to be met by the force of Eugene's foot slamming in to his face. The first knight lost his grip and fell two stories to the ground.

Enraged by seeing his comrade fall, the other knight began his climb. Eugene waited for him, and when the moment was right, tried the same tactic he used on his previous victim. He swung his foot at the soldier's face, only to have it caught and pulled from under him by the knight's free hand.

Eugene's back landed on the roof top; the knight pulled the rest of his body top side. The knight drew his sword and swung it downward like a sledgehammer. Eugene rolled his body just out of its path and kicked the knight's feet from under him. He darted off across the roof top, tailed by the soldier who had risen back to his feet.

Despite the uneven angle of the roof tops, the two maintained stride. They leapt over the thin alley ways that separated the roofs from each other. Every few steps, either of the two would loose their footing on the unstable ceramic roof tiles sliding out from under them.

After leaping over a final alley way, Eugene looked and saw that the row of houses ended at the edge of roof he ran on. Beyond him was the vast expanse of the bay that surrounded Corona. He had no weapon to fight; stopping meant being killed by a superior hand to hand fighter. Without thinking of a plan, Eugene pumped his arms harder; the speed of his sprint increased. He ran forward as fast as he could, and jumped from the roof.

Eugene regretted his choice to jump as he fell through the air. His limbs flailed about as if they were trying to stop his descent. He was about to slam in to the street at full speed. It would be a miracle if he lived. In the seconds before landing, everything around him seemed to be moving as if stuck in molasses. He closed his eyes and braced for impact.

He landed. Not on the brick avenue, but the sturdy back of a cantering horse. Astonished, his eyes flung open. He lay on his stomach across Max's back in perpendicular fashion. Straining for breath after the force of landing stole it from his lungs, Eugene pulled his self upright.

"Good boy," Eugene yelled in to the horse's ear. "Let's get Rapunzel back."

The fighting in the city by now had been pushed up the hill to the foot of the palace. Down by the docks, none but invading soldiers who held station on the pier remained. The scene was quiet, save for the few murmurs of soldiers conversing with each other while others patrolled the area. The lack of noise contrasted with the carnage unfolding just up the hill. The clatter of swords, blood-curdling screams, and occasional explosion made the calm of the docks all the more eerie.

Eugene, Max, and Pascal had made their way down to the docks using the cover provided by secluded alleys. By this they had travelled undetected by the invaders. Together, they waited in the dark observing the movements of the soldiers, waiting for any sign of Rapunzel.

In the distance, the sound of hooves clopping against the street descended from the macabre sight above. The Duke's carriage came to a stop in front of the dock. With haste he emerged from its interior and jumped in to a boat. Two soldiers carried an unconscious Rapunzel and laid her in the boat next to the Duke.

"Is she dead," one asked.

"Sedated," the Duke replied. "She'll be awake in a few hours."

Eugene's fists curled up in to balls. It was only by some divine restraint that he didn't go charging in flailing his arms and pummeling every soldier in sight. Though such was his deepest desire, even he knew that such an act would be suicide. His mind turned in search of a more thoughtful plan.

The plan came with Pascal jabbing his cheek with his tail and pointing toward an approaching guard on patrol. He was alone, an easy target.

He passed in front of the alley where Eugene and team were concealed; Eugene reached out and yanked the soldier in to the darkness. He ripped the soldier's helmet from his head. The solider tried to scream for help, but Eugene seized his mouth before the cry could escape his throat. His hand sealed the soldiers mouth shut. With the soldier muted in his lap, Eugene struck over the head with several well-placed punches. The soldier's thrashing stopped, he fell limp in his attacker's arms.

As soon as the man had been rendered unconscious, Eugene stripped the man's armor from his body. He took the soldier's shin and breast plates, and with the help of Pascal fastened them. He put on the helmet, and pulled down its face guard to conceal his face. Pascal clung to Eugene's back plate, camouflaging him against its black armor.

Eugene rode out of the darkness of the alley on Max's back, trotting towards the Duke's boat as it readied for cast off. He would not attack. The plan was to wait for the Duke move far enough from the dock so that he could gain intelligence of the Duke's plans through casual conversation with the ignorant soldiers.

Before the Duke's men pushed away from the dock, he caught eye of the white horse and its rider approaching. The horse was familiar to him. It looked much like the one that had pursued him just moments ago. It had no saddle like the one before. The only difference about this horse from the one who chased him was the rider upon it.

Marcus ordered his men wait before launching. "You there, soldier," he said, pointing at Eugene. "Where is your saddle?"

Eugene's heart raced while he concocted a lie to protect his cover. "I," he began in distorted voice, "I stole this horse, sir!"

"Stole it?"

"Aye, sir!"

"From where?"

"In the street, sir. It was standing there by itself. I saw that it was a beautiful horse and I thought that it would make a great prize for your victory."

Marcus smirked. "Did you now?"

"Aye, sir!"

"What unit are you a part of soldier?"

Eugene paused. He had no idea how to answer such a question. His chest hammered like the incessant pounding made by a drummer.

"Spit it out, man!"

Incoherent babble stumbled from Eugene's lips as he searched for a lie that would have a chance of being accepted as truth.

The devilish smirk expanded on the Duke's face. "Don't answer that. You can't anyways, Rider!"

Beneath his helmet, Eugene fell agape.

"Kill that imposturous welp!" Marcus barked at his men, gesturing towards Eugene. His men launched him from the dock, with Rapunzel inside the boat.

Without hesitation, Max dashed off away from the enemy. Arrows hissed passed Eugene and his companions; a few soldiers mounted their horses to chase them down.

Eugene steered Max across the only bridge out of the city. Behind them, the enemy followed close behind. Arrows from their bows missed Eugene only by inches. From small boats near the bridge, archers fired their bows from all angles.

"Hurry Max," screamed Eugene. Max burst forward at a speed that was unprecedented. So fast were his feet that Max appeared to be gliding across the ground, like the wings of Pegasus had sprouted from his shoulders as he fled from the enemy.

In the blink of an eye, Max had created a distance of no less than twenty five lengths between him and his pursuers; and the distance continued to grow. Max raced to the far side of the bridge and through the enemy unsuspecting enemy encampment. Together, Max, Eugene, and Pascal passed beyond their attackers' sight and in to the darkness of the forest.

After several minutes of running, Eugene pulled back on their hairs of Max's mane, bringing him to stop. "Okay boy, that's enough for tonight!"

Eugene dismounted and rubbed Max on the neck. Sweat matted the hair on his neck, leaving slimy residue on Eugene's hand when he retracted it. The horse collapsed to the ground, exhausted. It was a matter of seconds before he was fast asleep against the mulch of the forest floor.

Pascal too, had fallen asleep with moments of stopping, curled in to a ball on the horse's neck.

Eugene sat next to his sleeping companions. Intense heat oppressed him within his armor. He removed his helmet and shin plates, and strained to unfasten his breast plate. Dehydrated and exhausted, Eugene's vision became hazy. He lost all sense of balance, his head started to hang from his shoulders. With all of his strength fading from his limbs, he fell on to back with his armor still fastened to his chest.

Next to his faithful companions, Eugene dozed off in to a deep sleep.


	9. Ultimatum

_A/N: Hello everyone. So I know it was last Thursday or Friday since the last post, I'm working very hard to crank out the chapters in between everything else I got going on. Thank you so much for being patient in between posts, and thank you for all of your wonderful feedback. Thank you to all of you have been reading :) I am so humbled and thankful!_

_Next chapter will be up as soon as possible :) _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 9**

**Ultimatum**

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><p>Men who oft stood with chests puffed out, cowered on the ground. Women, who in their extravagant dresses refused to sit in anything but the most comfortable of chairs, knelt to the ground like captured criminals, begging for their lives. Soldiers bearing pitch black armor stood over them with weapons drawn ready to strike down any who resisted their orders. What once was a formal gathering, a celebration for a princess' crowning, now resembled a scene familiar only to soldiers who had experienced the terror of being captured during battle.<p>

Just moments before, a loud boom alerted the party to objects being hurled at the city. Torches marched across the bridge in the hands of soldiers, pressing upward through the streets. From the balcony, the guests watched in horror as soldiers pursued citizens fleeing their homes set ablaze, and buildings collapse under the weight of landing boulders fired from catapults.

While many squadrons veered down side streets to hold the city hostage, a force of no less than two hundred strong raided the palace. Not charging like mad men, but like a well oiled machine the soldiers moved in tightly formed ranks and files at a swift pace. Like the phalanx of the Spartans, their shields and long spears pointing out their front of ranks were impenetrable; with no small chinks or crevices in the formation that could be exploited by opponents. Brave as the palace soldiers guards were, outnumbered and unprepared, the majority of them were dispatched with ease by the teeth of the invaders' spears.

In a whirlwind of confusion, the soldiers burst through the doors of the ball room, besieging guests with savage screaming and malicious threats. All in attendance were subdued by their attackers immediately, and corralled in to a corner where they and the remaining palace guards were held captive.

The king and queen knelt amongst their guests. Some moaned, screamed, and even cried in fear, while King Richard and his wife were expressionless. Amidst the swirling panic, they remained poised, offering encouragement to those around them.

The attackers held the people hostage for what seemed like more than an hour. The queen and her husband were growing restless. They could not understand any purpose for the invasion, and wanted answers.

"Why are you doing this," the queen asked. Her tone was stern, unafraid of the consequences she could provoke upon herself.

"Shut up," one soldier, the captain to be sure, sneered.

"You are holding us hostage, and have not acted further on your raid. What is your purpose for doing this?" Her eyes burned at the soldier. The king glanced over with a look that urged her keep quiet. He had similar questions, but the king feared for his guests, and was willing to remain silent if it kept the status quo. Further, he feared for her safety.

The captain smirked. He strutted over towards the queen where she knelt with her guests. After removing his helmet and cradling it between his arm and side, he bent over and placed a finger on her chin.

The King could only glare while the fiend laid his claws on his wife.

"You're a potent thing." He shot a ghoulish grin at the king, taunting him while he ran fingers across her face. "And quite…beautiful."

She shook her head free from his touch in disgust. "Just answer my question you degenerate fool!"

His hand seized her by the hair and pulled on it with commanding strength, forcing her eyes to meet his. He pressed a blade to her cheek. "Don't forget your place, woman!"

Horror and fury arose in the king, but remained still for fear of bringing further harm to her and the guests.

"You will get your answer when he arrives," the captain hissed, releasing her from his grasp.

The queen peeked at her husband, confused.

"Who," the king questioned.

No sooner did the king utter his question when the doors of the ball room opened. The king and queen both, along with many of the guests, fell agape as their eyes beheld the man walking towards them. A man they had all known since he was a boy; who was well respected, and adored by those under his leadership.

"Hello everyone," the Duke began with a charming, yet sinister grin. "I'm sorry to have crashed your party. But sometimes work just gets in the way."

Astonishment overcame the queen. The king was enraged, only to be restrained by the gentle touch of his wife's hand.

"Marcus, are you a part of this," the king growled.

Marcus sighed but didn't say anything.

"You scheming, back-stabbing, sycophant. We trusted you!"

The Duke lifted his hands, gesturing the king to quell his anger. "Richard, please! Not in front of your guests!"

The king's face burned with anger. It was the color of hot metal when heated in a furnace, just before it is cooled by the blacksmith. Confounded by all of this, the queen could only look at Marcus with weary eyes.

"Why are you doing this," the queen asked.

Marcus exchanged a brief glance with the captain, offering a subtle nod. "Rachel, Richard, come with me and we'll talk in private."

The captain barked some orders in a foreign tongue to his soldiers. Savage screams ensued as the troops herded the prisoners out of the ballroom. A few soldiers stayed behind to surround the king and the queen, neutralizing any chance for them to call for help or escape. Two soldiers, at the direction of the Duke shut all openings to the ballroom.

It was quiet now in the once active ballroom. Save for the king and queen who stood captured in the middle of the room and the Duke, there was no movement or noise anywhere.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," the Duke began with some devilish version of a reassuring smile. "I assure you that no one will be harmed, given that everything I command is obeyed."

"No one will be harmed," the queen questioned in sardonic tone. "What about the people whose homes are on fire? The ones who were attacked by your soldiers?"

Marcus chuckled. "Great risk is demanded if one is achieving great things, dearest Rachel. In a perfect world, violence like this wouldn't be necessary. But the fact of the matter is that you are the ones who caused their pain."

"Really," the king scoffed. "And how does that make any logical sense at all?"

"It's rather quite simple. By not heeding my advice, you forced me to act in harsh ways. When you were slow to act, I was forced to take matters in to my own hands. Unfortunately, I had to use force."

"What," the queen asked, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

"Ask your husband. He knows."

She looked over at her husband, whose face continued to scald in anger. Realization of what Marcus was saying set in, and enraged the king to the point that he lurched forward to attack. Only the soldiers and their drawn weapons kept him from attacking.

"Advice," he roared. "You didn't give me advice. You fed me lies. The Dark Army' position and its alliance was all forgery written in your handwriting!"

"And you fell for it!"

The room fell silent. With no immediate response to the charge, the King could do nothing but stand there as Marcus neared him with a mischievous grin. The queen stepped in to the exchange while her husband struggled to grasp the accusation levied upon him.

"Marcus," she began, "please tell us why you are doing this."

The Duke paused. His face shifted, the mischief in his expression disappeared. It became solemn, but the narrow gaze in his eye and the slight clenching of the jaw appeared to have some sinister thought behind it, controlling it like the puppeteer his doll.

"For the good of Corona," he replied.

Her brow quirked, her head tilted to the side. "How do your actions help Corona?"

Marcus sighed, waving his hand about indicating the soldiers in the room. "See these troops here, you and your husband had no idea about their proximity to the kingdom. You and your husband's way of protecting the kingdom is flawed. How can Corona feel safe, when their leaders can't adequately protect its people?"

"I did know about their presence," the king growled. "I just didn't know one of my best friends had sold his soul to the devil."

"That's rather harsh I think, Richard. I'm doing you everyone a favor by this. Since I have become duke of Florencia, my people have lived in a district where crime has almost disappeared. My soldiers are some of the strongest in Corona's army."

He paused for a moment while he placed a hand on the king's shoulder. "The truth is, I'm more fit to be king than you are."

The king's face boiled. His fists clenched in balls of rage.

"So if what you want is power," the queen said in a weary tone, "why didn't you just kill us."

Marcus laughed aloud. Removing his hand from the king's shoulder, he placed it on hers in a reassuring manner.

"I don't want to kill you," he chuckled. "All I said was I'm a better King than is your husband."

Marcus paused. "Besides, with you dead, I would have killed the one who knows where this kingdom's greatest weapon is."

Realization hit the king. He remembered his conversation with Marcus from the night before, and the mythical object that the duke had expressed a peculiar interest in.

"The Evening Star," the king said. "Is that what this is all about? The Evening Star?"

Marcus nodded.

"Marcus that is a myth," he continued in stern tone. "You're chasing something that existed in a story, not real life. Even if it were real, I wouldn't allow a madman, or any man for that matter, near it."

"Oh I think you would," Marcus replied with a cunning hiss.

"I would never put my people in such danger!"

"Even if it meant your daughter's life?"

The couple turned to each other astonished. The queen's eyes welled with tears, frightened. Horror swept over the king, his face fell despair.

"What have you done to her," the King's voice shook.

Marcus smirked. "Nothing, yet."

"Why have you taken her," the queen whimpered.

"You see, I know the Evening Star exists. I know because that 'story' my father told was no story. It was a top secret meeting that I had overheard between you and him, and you spoke of its existence with certainty. He too was curious of its location, but that was as far as it went with him. I knew you'd deny it unless I had your beloved daughter to prod the information from you."

Anger returned to the King's face. "If you hurt her, I will kill you with my bare hands."

Marcus chuckled. "Relax, Richard. If you tell me where the Evening Star is, she will be returned unharmed."

"But," he continued, "if you don't, I promise you this: you will never see her again. I will not kill her. I will make her suffer under my servitude for the rest of her life. I will disgrace your family by lowering her to the level of a peasant. She will never escape. She will be mine. Forever."

The queen broke down, weeping. Wrapping his arms around her, the King tried to console his wife.

"But if I tell you where the Evening Star is, you will destroy everything."

"On the contrary," replied Marcus, "I will take Corona to heights unprecedented. It's power will be infinite. No nation will ever defeat us."

The King hung his head in defeat. "It's power is too great for any man. It will destroy you, and all who you try to rule."

Marcus tapped the king on the shoulder once more, kneeling beside the downtrodden couple.

"I will give you until tomorrow evening to make your decision." Marcus paused, offering grim stare. "After that, if you refuse, I will inflict whatever pain I need to for the Star's location."

He paused once more. He stood over the king and queen with authority, glaring with the most menacing look he could conjure. "You can choose your daughter or the pathetic people you love so dearly. Either way, I will find that Star."

Marcus whirled around in fury and stormed out of the room, followed by a couple of his personal guards.

Beneath the ever watchful stares of the soldiers that surrounded them, the royal couple knelt in the middle of the room. The queen's sobs became hysterical, uncontrollable. The king did his best to comfort his queen. He held her close to his massive chest, letting her tears soak in to his shirt. With one of his hands, he stroked her hair. Fighting back tears of his own, his voice shook as he tried to lift her spirit.

"Don't worry," he said, his voice failing and cracking with each word that came out. "She'll be okay. It will all be okay."


	10. An Unexpected Friend

_A/N: Wow, hello again everybody! It has been such a long time since I have updated this story. I will get to that in a moment. First I want to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving and I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves. I hope that those of you who are still eagerly awaiting the newest update will except this as a belated Thanksgiving gift._

_I have a few reasons as to why I have not posted in awhile, and none of them have to do with me losing my motivation or love for this story. Recently, college has started, and most of my time and energy has been devoted to keeping up with my studies. This would be one thing, but I have also recently undergone surgery on my shoulder which I sustained during football practice during preseason camp. All of these things have combined to forces to suck dry any energy or time that I would to use toward the telling of this story. I assure you that I am not giving up on this story. And now that the surgery has a couple weeks passed and our football season is over, I hope to now refocus my efforts on this story in the weeks to come._

_Remember that we left off with Corona being invaded and Rapunzel's parents being given an ultimatum: surrender a secret or forfeit Rapunzel's life. Meanwhile, Eugene, Maximus, and Pascal have all escaped the city, and that is where we pick up today. As always, I am incredibly greatful for those of you who have continued reading or patiently awaiting me to get my act together. I have received nice e-mails and reviews even in my hiatus, and I am so grateful for all of your support! Let me know what you think, hope you enjoy! God Bless! :)_

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><p><strong>An Unexpected Friend<strong>_  
><em>

As the season of fall descends toward winter, Corona becomes a dreary place. Clouds consistently layer the sky like and endless blanket of different shades of grey. Rain storms pass through the countryside as frequently as pedestrians on a city street. The rain in these months sometimes occurs in torrential downpour, but on most occasions it lighter and steadier throughout the day.

Such as it was on this morning, as Eugene slept on the floor of the Coronan forest. Droplets slipped through the cracks in the canopy of the trees, occasionally falling upon his face. His body, utterly fatigued from the night previous, lay motionless even as the droplets sprinkled his skin.

His leg twitched, his head shook. In a panic his body sat up desperately gasping for air, like when one surfaces after being held underwater for a prolonged amount of time. His eyes darted about his surroundings as if they were still searching for pursuers. Upon awakening, even after several hours of sleep, Eugene's mind had not disconnected itself from the events of the night before. In that instant, he felt as if he were still being chased.

Max and Pascal observed this sight curiously, partly concerned for their friend's sanity.

A minute passed when he realized it was day time. It was no longer night. Hours had passed since he had escaped the city, and he still had not been captured. He escaped! He, Max, and Pascal had by some miracle evaded the siege of Corona.

Corona.

He remembered the terrible scene. The smell of smoke from burning houses returned to his nostrils; he remembered the cries of women clutching children in their arms. The city was overrun, and it was only because of Rapunzel's kidnapping that the three companions had escaped.

Rapunzel.

The remembrance of the scene was only a small part of the sorrow which returned to his heart. For upon his recollection of the attack, he was reminded of Rapunzel's abduction. Most of all, he was reminded of his final words to her.

He cursed himself for being such a fool; for not seeing the sinister plans of the Duke. He knew something wasn't right about the man, and instead of heeding is keen judgment of character, he ignored it. Instead, he blamed Rapunzel. He bitterly chastened himself for reacting so rashly. He pushed her away, and she ran away in tears.

The light of his life ran away in tears, perhaps to never return.

Eugene concealed these emotions has he lifted himself to his feet. He unfastened the armor which still sat securely upon his frame. He cast it to the ground and stretched his aching muscles. Still too tired to walk, he sat with his back against a tree.

Max and Pascal had been awake long before Eugene. When they had come to their senses they eagerly awaited for him to arise from his sleep so they could search for their friend who had been taken. Eugene's lack of urgency came as much to the dismay of his companions. Max nudged Eugene's while snorting in disgust.

"C'mon Max," said Eugene while pushing the horse's nose away from him. "Not now."

Another snort of disgust blasted from Max's nostrils as he glowered at Eugene with a look of chastisement. Pascal sat atop the horse's head with a similar indignation.

"What? What do you want me to do?"

This question made the horse's temper boil. He reared up on to his hind legs and slammed his hooves in to the grass in fury. He then pivoted and glanced at his back, indicating where was to sit.

Shaking his head, Eugene resisted Max's urges. "Max, what do you expect us to do," Eugene replied, raising his voice. "Corona is under siege. We we're lucky to even escape the city. We have no shelter and whoever the heck just invaded the country will be looking for us. We don't even know where to look."

The horse quelled his fury, realizing that he did have a point, while maintaining his cold scowl.

Pascal, looking distraught, crawled up on to Eugene's leg. He was lacking in expression, unsure of what fate laid before his longtime friend. Would he ever see her again? How would he find her?

Sensing this growing doubt in the chameleon, Eugene lowered his voice and tried to encourage Pascal. Despite the pity that lay within his heart, he did his best to comfort his grieving friend. The truth was that Eugene's heart mourned the loss of Rapunzel as well; perhaps even more deeply. It is one thing to have lost someone you love; but it is completely another when that love had rescued you from darkness. With every passing moment, the light of Eugene's life began to dwindle like a campfire in the early hours of morning.

Eugene lifted Pascal and placed him upon his shoulder, the chameleon's favorite place to sit when they were together. Max, too, sensed the growing dread within his companion's hearts. He placed a comforting muzzle upon Eugene's head, breathing soft breaths from his nostrils in to the man's hair. Since the incident, they had not yet had a moment to confront the agony of being robbed of such love. For just this moment, all other cares and concerns fled their thoughts while they held each other in fondness of the one they missed. Together, they mourned.

A few moments passed. Just before dawn, the night is at its darkest. This darkness, just as it began to seemed most eternal, yielded the faintest of light. Amidst their mourning, a sound made its way through the trees to the ears of Maximus. His ear turned in the direction of the sound in the manner that a horse's ear does when its attention is caught. A second passed while he listened. The sound grew closer; the sound of a horse's hooves. With a grunt he lifted his head and pointed in the direction of the sound. He nudged Eugene on the shoulder, calling forth his wits from the slough of despond in which he was sinking.

Confused at first, Eugene furrowed his brow. "What is it boy?"

Max again grunted and pointed in to the woods, indicating the direction sound that he heard.

Together, the three crept through the forest with Max at the point. They came to a trail, and there they concealed themselves behind the thick row of bushes and trees along side. From his concealment, Eugene listened for the sound. He now heard it too. To his right he looked as the sound grew closer. Around the corner came a man riding his horse.

The rider wore the Florencian colors, but wore no armor. His only weapon was a common man's sword which was laced in to his horse's saddle along with a few food rashins and a blanket. The man, though not armored, possessed all the physical attributes usually possessed by a soldier. Through his garments one could perceive his tall, muscular frame. A prominent jawline and long mangy hair that hung to the tops of his shoulders hinted toward a beautiful, yet terrifying aspect of this man's character. Though not a soldier, he certainly seemed to be no man to cross paths with.

In light of this, Eugene began searching for anything that he could use to spring a surprise attack upon the rider. His fingers fell upon a small stone that lay next to his foot. It was round and only slightly smaller than the palm of his hand. He stood behind a tree and waited for the rider to approach an accurate range of attack. When he did, Eugene planted his feet in the ground and released the stone without hesitation. The rider fell limply from his saddle to the ground.

Eugene sprinted to the man's resting place; in part because of his urgency to bind him and conceal him from other travelers, and also because of his absolute amazement that he had cast a throw with such accuracy to hit the man square in the head. The rider was dazed. His eyes rolled to the top of his skull; the lids quivered for a moment, then shut altogether.

With haste Eugene picked the man up and flung his limp frame over his shoulders. Max beckoned the rider's horse to follow, to which the fellow horse complied.

When they had descended deep enough in to the forest that they were out of sight of the road, Eugene sat the man down and leaned him against the base of a tree. Rummaging through the rider's supplies harnessed to the saddle. The rider's horse, to Eugene's amazement, had not resisted his attempts to get near him even after assaulting his rider. Max was always the supreme in any herd; the quintessential herd-boss of a horse if one ever existed, whose intelligence rivaled that of some humans. The horse was apparently quick to pick up on this if he so easily complied with Eugene's direction.

"Good boy," Eugene said, stroking the apprehensive but compliant steed with the comforting touch he often applied to Max in his stable.

Stashed in a pouch that was laced with the saddle there was belt. With it Eugene bound the rider's hands behind his back. With his own belt, he then bound the man's ankles together. Then he unsheathed and brandished in the incapacitated's face. With the broad side of the blade, he pressed the cool steel in to the man's cheek. He didn't wake. He tapped him twice on the shoulder; still nothing.

After a few moments, he had tried every method he could think of to wake the man, each without success.

He dropped the sword to his side and rubbed the nape of his neck, vexed. He thought deeply of any technique which he had not tried, which led to even more frustration.

He gave up. He sat down on a nearby stump, thrusting his face in to his palm while he waited for the man to wake on his own time.

Amid his frustration he heard Max grunt in a suggestive manner, the kind of grunt he used when he wished for Eugene to bring him some fresh apples or scratch underneath his chin.

Eugene looked. The horse wore a cocky grin which only he could wear. His eyes floated to the top of his head, indicating the chameleon which sat upon it. Pascal too wore a mischievous smile that was unique to only him.

At first, Eugene was flummoxed by their peculiarly playful suggestiveness. Just as he opened to ask, Pascal's tongue shot out of his mouth and retracted quickly. Eugene began to smile.

He placed Pascal on the captive's shoulder. The chameleon readied positioned himself with a secure stance and took aim. His tongue shot in to the man's ear, the cold wetness resting deeply within his ear canal until the uncomfortable feeling woke him from his unconsciousness.

The man's eyes flung open, and with a yelp he began struggle in his makeshift chains. The man's shoulder's shrugged upward in surprise, hurling Pascal through the air.

Though the situation was inherently serious to Eugene, this event could not help but make him chuckle. He suddenly realized why Rapunzel found so much enjoyment in waking him this way. It was her favorite practical joke to tease Eugene with. Seeing the mix of confusion, anger, and surprise in the man's face only made him think of how he must have looked to Rapunzel in the times that he was victim to Pascal's talent.

The man looked around the forest, dazed. Though awake, it was a moment before his mind had actually made sense of where he was. He looked and saw that his feet and arms were bound. At this he turned to Eugene, who held the point of the sword's blade to the man's face.

"Struggling is pointless," Eugene said in a dry, serious tone.

The man stopped struggling, and flipped his long locks out of his face. There was no panic in the man's eye. Rather, his stoic but intense expression matched that of Eugene.

"If you want money, I have none," the man said.

Eugene pressed the broad side of the blade in to the man's cheek, and then pulled it back to his side. "It's not money that I look for."

"Well what in the heck to you want then? I have no food, money, or royalty to give you; and if it's me you want, then I'm sorry I can't help you – that's just not my style."

Eugene smirked at the man's sarcasm. "Answers," he replied.

"You want answers?"

"Answers."

Eugene sat on a nearby stump. He pushed the tip of the sword in to the soil and rested his hand on the handle.

The man, though remaining stern in expression, was no doubt surprised by Eugene's purpose for detaining him.

"Well what kind of answers do you want?"

Eugene stared at the man for a moment. On the man's forearm was a tattoo. It was a lion, the symbol of Florencian royalty. "Why the tattoo," Eugene asked indicating it with a nod.

The man glanced at it for a moment. "What about it?"

"I know it. It's symbol is on your district's flag. Only those of great importance must bear it on their skin." Eugene paused and looked in to the man's eye. "Why, then, does a man dressed as a commoner have it imprinted on his arm?"

The man took in breath and thought for a moment. "You might already know why."

Eugene furrowed his brow in confusion.

"When you go against authority," the man continued, "it cuts you down."

"I fail to see how that applies to me."

The man chuckled. "Stop playing games. I know who you are – who you were at least."

The intensity in Eugene's face faded.

"You were a thief, and society cast you out. I was a man of royalty, who didn't support his authority over him. So I was reduced to a mere messenger for the community."

"Who did you rebel against," Eugene asked. "The Duke?"

The man took in another breath as he summoned his next thought. "I was the Duke's military advisor."

Eugene leaned forward. "So you know why Corona was invaded."

"Marcus came to me a few years ago, imploring my advice on the best methods of attack. At first, I expressed concern that the plan was ill-conceived. He continued to rally support for it among other members of the court in secret. I did nothing until I heard the others were bowing to his will. When this happened, I confronted them all and opposed their plan."

The man paused to make sure that Eugene was still listening.

"They silenced me," the man continued. "They stripped me of my royalty and made me a messenger. If I spoke out, they'd have my family killed."

"Why didn't they just kill you," Eugene asked.

The man thought hard for a moment and sighed. "Marcus and I were once very close. My advice was not out of defiance, but of care for his well being. But even in his anger he would not have me killed if didn't absolutely have to."

He paused for a moment. "He's my brother."

Eugene leaned back as the sudden twist of fate struck him as lighting. What were the chances, that he would stumble upon the brother of the man who had hatched this maniacal plot on the kingdom? A small chuckle of disbelief sprung from Eugene's chest.

The man took note of this response with peculiar interest. "This makes you happy," the man questioned with a tone of curiosity.

Eugene's eyes met the man's, unsure of how to respond.

"It's pretty clear as to how I got here. What I don't get, is how you got here, Rider?"

"What do you mean," asked Eugene.

"I know you were pardoned, and that you were living in the city. I also know that the Florencian rebellion and their allies were so great that literally none in the city should have been able to escape, yet here you are."

"I have a horse that is smarter than most humans and a chameleon that will frighten the most intimidating men. My friends and I are one of a kind."

The man chuckled darkly. "You're funny, Rider. But I know when one evades the truth by covering it with vane attempts at humor." The man licked his lips. "What's the reason?"

At first, Eugene resisted the urge to spill the truth. But he perceived that the man had penetrated the barriers he had erected before his emotions. There was no holding back now. The dyke had been damaged, and soon all that stood behind it would pour forth.

"They took her," Eugene replied softly.

The man grinned. "Who?"

Eugene hesitated, then replied reluctantly. "The princess."

Another dark chuckle erupted from the man's belly. "Flynn Rider is trying to save the princess!"

Eugene's silence confirmed the man's question.

"So tell me, does she fancy you the way that you do her?"

Eugene paused. He knew that he loved her, but he didn't know about her. Such questioning was difficult for him to respond to. He wasn't sure anymore. Though he knew he loved her, still gnawing at his heart was the feeling that his past made him unredeemable. No amount of good he did would ever make him worthy of her love. Though it pained him to think it, he understood why Rapunzel was so quickly swept up by the Duke.

His lip quivered nervously as he tried to respond. Before he could reply, the man had cut him off.

"You don't think you're good enough do you," the man asked with a grin that perceived Eugene's despair. "She's a princess, beautiful, and good; you're undeserving of her love. I could see it in your eyes when I told you I knew who you were. I had not forgotten you're old reputation, and it reminded you that there is no escaping your past.

"You're doing the right thing to save her, but in the end you know it will still be in vane. In the end, it won't matter. There will still be someone better."

The words stung. Eugene could not fight or deny the man's observation of him. He could only sit in silence, fighting back the small tear which sought to form in his eye.

The man saw his sadness and changed the subject. "Is there anything else you would like me to help you with?"

Eugene shook his head. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

The man tilted his head as if to shrug off the issue, dismissing any contempt he might have felt.

"I would let you go," Eugene continued, "but I don't need anyone telling your brother's army where I am."

"You'd be foolish to do anything different."

"Thanks."

Eugene thought for a moment. It was strange the way the events of this morning had occurred. Not even an hour ago, he had little hope of ever finding Rapunzel. Now he had within his captivity a man who know the enemy more intimately than any other, and, for that matter, opposed the rebellion despite his allegiance to the district. He suddenly realized the man's implied meaning by calling him foolish. This man could help.

"You said that you opposed your brother's plan to invade Corona," Eugene inquired.

The man paused with a stoic expression. "I did," he replied.

"I would have no problem leaving you here in the middle of the forest as lunch for the wolves," Eugene continued. "But I can't find the princess on my own."

A cocky grin emerged on the man's face. "You want my help?"

"Yes, but how can I trust that you want turn on me at the first chance you get?"

The man nodded slightly. "You can't. But I'm your only option."

Eugene nodded, acknowledging the man's point with a slight grin of his own.

"The name's Caleb," said the man. "Caleb O'Brien."

The two men exchanged one more nod. Eugene glanced over at his companions; both of him gave him looks of assurance.

Eugene looked back at O'Brien, who was once again struggling in his bondage. He looked up at Eugene, and with a nod he indicated the belts around his wrists and ankles.

"We should be going," said Caleb. "But do you think you could unbuckle me first?"


	11. Fit for a Princess

_A/N: Hello again. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your kind feedback. The fact that you are enjoying it so much really does motivate me to follow through with this story! Thank you, also, for being so patient with me in between posts! _

_Today's chapter, we see what has become of Rapunzel. Like last chapter, it is a little slow. However, it is not here without some purpose. Each scene thus far has served a purpose and will serve a purpose down the road. Hopefully within the next few days I'll have chapter 12 posted! If, by chance, I don't have it finished by the weekend, Merry Christmas! :) _

_Speaking of Christmas, I had the idea of a Christmas fic, featuring Rapunzel and Eugene. It would be seperate from this story, but I am a huge fan of short and sweet one-shots, especially around Christmas time. Suggestions are welcome on that, even though I do have a vague interpretation of what I'd like to see happen in that story. Let me know of any ideas you have, if you have any to offer :)_

_Thanks again and God bless! Enjoy!_

**Chapter 12**

**Fit for a Princess**

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><p>There was a tap on her forehead, then another, and another. Finally, Rapunzel opened her eyes. Drops of water leaked from the ceiling above and hit her in the head once more. This ceiling was not the one in her bedroom. She knew this because it hadn't been painted with caricatures of people and the intricate designs she had made with the fibers of her brush. This ceiling was made of stone; tightly compacted brick with the occasional crease that allowed water to drip through.<p>

In haste she sat up from where she lay. Around her was more brick like that on the ceiling. There were only two outlets from the room: a window and a door made of bars. It was a jail cell. Rapunzel's disbelief began to fade as her memory returned.

She remembered crying. Crying because Eugene was angry; he thought she didn't love him. He said she wanted to do better. _How could he think such a thing_?

She remembered Marcus, that scoundrel who tried to kiss her. She went to apologize and reassure Eugene that she never meant for that to happen but…

She didn't make it. That's how she got here. She figured that she must have been taken here. A whirlwind of fear and anger roused her senses, and before she knew it her hands her clasped around the bars of her cell, hollering helplessly for someone to rescue her from captivity.

With all of her might she tried to shake the bars as if she could uproot them from their concrete dwelling places. The bars yielded not even a slight tremble as she clamored like a madman, half-screaming and half grunting.

"Somebody, help," she cried. "Somebody, please, help me!"

Eventually her body tired from such exertion. Her knees buckled, and she sat and leaned against cell bars. Her eyes hung upon her once ravishing blue dress, which had now been stained with the mud, dirt, and grime that caked the cell's interior. She heard the sound of raindrops, and looked out the window of her cell. The cell was clearly underground, because the window was just below its ceiling and the beginnings of a short tunnel that angled upward toward the sky. She could see the grey clouds, impenetrable by the sun's rays hanging over the window. Daylight was fading.

Painful, heart-wrenching tears formed in her eyes as the reality set in.

"Eugene," she whispered, "where are you? Please come back!"

Unable to withhold the tears any longer, they flowed forth in uncontrollable sobs. She pulled her knees to her chest, shivering in the cold and damp cell. She buried her face in her hands and wept.

Moments passed, but they seemed like hours. In this moment, nothing made sense. Not even time. She hated herself for falling for the duke's horrible lies, and for hurting poor Eugene. But she also hated the duke for being such wolf in sheep's clothing, and didn't understand why Eugene would ever think that she didn't love him. She didn't know what to think, and the more she tried to understand the more upset she became. When her body had exhausted itself from weeping, she continued to sob and refused to look up from her hands at her dismal dwelling.

Amidst her sorrow she heard a new tapping. Not like the leaking rain drops that fell from the ceiling, but a different one. The tapping stopped behind her. She turned and was startled by a mouse sitting outside the front of her jail cell, staring at her.

For a moment they looked at each other, each probably as confused as the other. Rapunzel, who had always had an affinity for small creatures, stuck her hand through the bars in the mouse's direction. She rubbed her thumb, middle, and index finger together and beckoned it to come closer by clicking her tongue against the back of her teeth.

"Come here," she whispered with a sniffle.

The mouse eyed her with a look of suspicion. This look was not that of an ordinary mouse. Its traits were uncannily human, much like Pascal. Pascal…

Immediately, hope glimmered at a distance at the thought of having a companion in such a lowly state. If only she could earn the mouse's trust.

It crept closer as its trust for Rapunzel increased, until it was just about to climb in to her hand.

"There you are," another voice had said. This one was deep and powerful. The kind of voice only a man of sizeable statues could possess. Rapunzel looked up at the man thinking that he was addressing her. But he was looking down at the mouse as he lifted his heavy boot over its position.

The mouse shrieked in terror, but before he could crush it Rapunzel stopped him.

"_No_," she cried while she snatched the mouse in to her hand, pulling it safely behind the bars with her. "Leave him alone!"

The man lifted an eyebrow. "Beg your pardon?"

"I said leave him alone!" Rapunzel's tone was stern and hostile toward the man.

The man chuckled. "He's a mouse!"

"He's a lot sweeter than you are, I'm sure of it!"

The man's mouth fell agape in disbelief. "Beg your pardon?"

"You heard me!"

Clearly thinking that she was crazy, he shook his head in disbelief. "Alright, alright. You can have your mouse! Just keep quiet!"

The man turned walked to the other side of the room toward a big desk with a candle and large book resting on top of it.

"Why am I here?"

The man stopped and turned to Rapunzel, who still leaned against the bars, the mouse now sitting contently on her shoulder.

"You are a prisoner of the Duke O'Brien of Florencia."

Rapunzel stared at him as if she were searching for something in a fog. "Why?"

The man's face was cold and blank. "You were captured in the invasion of Corona. The Duke has commanded that you be held here until he has further need for you!"

He turned toward his desk, but could not walk away before he caught sight of Rapunzel's face beginning to hang to the ground in despair. Normally a man of business, it was unlike him to counsel with a prisoner. But she was different. Many of the scoundrels he saw were deluded insurrectionists, murderers, and thieves whose foremost purpose was to wreak havoc upon the innocent and upright. She was a princess, hardly any of these things. He did see the corruption that she had fallen victim to; no matter how much he tried to look past it.

Compelled by sudden and overwhelming pity, he leaned toward the bar and spoke with surprising tenderness despite his typically deep voice. "My lady," he began, "I don't know why you're here. It isn't exactly fit for a princess. I'm sorry for that. But I can't change it either. Bad things happen, there's no changing that. Things don't turn out the way we want most of the time. The best way to get through is to just wear life's blows and nurse them later. It's no use letting yourself wallow in shame any longer."

The man turned once more to walk away.

"Do you believe that?"

The man turned to the dirty princess, her eyes stilly red and glassy from crying. "What," he asked.

"Do you believe that bad things will always happen?"

The man furrowed his brows and cringed in confusion. "I guess I do."

"I don't believe you!"

"I suppose you don't have to. But, my lady, regardless of what you think there's no changing that fact."

Displeased with his answer her voice raised in apprehension. "No. You're wrong. Things will get better. He'll come back. He will. You'll see. He must. I won't be here forever. I'll be out of here someday and you'll be stuck here as an old, grumpy man!"

The man looked at her, startled. Her temper had burst without warning and her words left him without any of his own.

Realizing what she had just said, her eyes hung once more in shame. She looked in to his eyes sincerely. "I'm sorry, that was an awful thing for me to say."

After shaking himself from his brief state of shock, he grinned solemnly. "Worse has been said to me," he replied.

After a brief pause he stepped back to her cell and cleared his throat. "So, what happened?"

Rapunzel sighed deeply. "I met the duke. He said things to me that no man had ever said to me, and I don't know why but I think I found him…attractive."

"Man can make or break a woman's world with his words," the man interjected.

"But I didn't even know what he was planning. I thought he was being nice. Then he tried to kiss me, and, well…"

"He found out."

For the first time since she had been awake, sadness fled her face and was completely perplexed by the guard's uncanny knowledge. She eyed him curiously. "Yes," she replied. "He saw it. I chased him and tried to talk to him; tried to explain things. I told him that I loved him and never wanted the duke to do those things." Her voice trailed off as she began to recall the memory in vivid detail, tears reforming in her eyes. "He said that I didn't love him; that I was better than him and that I would leave him."

The two fell silent.

"I know very little about the nature of love," the man started. His face indicated neither sympathy nor coldness. But his voice was tender for how rough it sounded. This seemed to comfort her even though it was accompanied by a warm smile, or hopeful twinkle of the eye. "What I do know," he continued, "is that I think these things happen as they were destined to. It is no mistake that you're in this cell either, unjust as it may seem."

Rapunzel wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and held the mouse in her hand seeking comfort from the touch of its tiny feet in her palm.

Noting her lacking response, the guard pursued her further. "You don't believe this."

"You don't think I'll see him again do you," Rapunzel questioned.

The man sighed and stared at the ceiling. "If I tell you something, do you promise not to tell?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Though I work for him, I know that the Duke is a cruel man. Much more than people realize to! If he's willing to throw you in this hell-hole, I wouldn't expect much more from him if I were you."

Rapunzel's face began to sink.

"But," the man continued, "keep faith, my lady. Not all hope is lost. The greatest of events happen in the darkest of times."

"I don't understand why this is happening," she whimpered, stroking the mouse's fur with her fingers. "Why has the Duke done this?"

The man leaned toward her and lowered his voice to a whisper. "What his plans are, I do not know. I do know that he has a hunger that can't be satisfied, a thirst unquenchable! His pride drives him, and nothing will stop him from proving himself better than another. A man who thinks himself better than another is a man of treachery, but man who thinks himself feeble and unworthy has what the prideful want but can never attain."

"And what's that?"

"Contentment."

The two fell silent once more. Sadness still hung heavy on Rapunzel's heart, like a shirt soaked after a run through a torrential downpour. This sadness kept her from seeing the fullness of this man's words. Nevertheless, she sensed the comfort in his tone as she pondered his thoughts. "I thought you were going to be mean. But you seem wise!"

The man chuckled humbly. "You learn much from guarding inmates! But I am hardly a wise man!

For the first time, a faint grin appeared at the corner of Rapunzel's mouth. "You _are _sweet, too, in spite of what I said earlier."

"Thank you!"

Rapunzel paused. She stared at her mouse friend as she summoned the courage for another question. "Will I see him again?"

"I don't know," he answered. "But you must keep hope!"

Another faint grin tugged at Rapunzel's lips. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Will you ever get out?"

The man looked her in the eye, with a hopeless grin. "I can't. If I rebel, all that I love will be taken from me. I will lose everything. Better to live in misery with what you love, than to live in freedom with nothing, I guess."

"When I'm free, I will save you," Rapunzel whispered.

The man's eyes glazed, and for the first time Rapunzel caught a glimpse of real emotion that he had locked away in the dungeon's of his of hardened exterior. His voice failed slightly, as he began to whisper in reply. "I believe you!"

He smiled once more and turned to walk away.

"What's your name," Rapunzel asked, leaning against the bars of her cell.

The man returned with his usual solemn stare. "You don't want to know my name." He began to twirl is keys on his fingers, and offered a small, strange grin. "Name's only important if you plan on staying."

Perplexed Rapunzel's head tilted as he turned once more, this time for good, to sit at his desk at the other end of the jail. She turned and sat in her cell, holding the mouse in her hands as it sniffed her.

"I know what to name you," she said softly to her newfound companion. "I'll call you Robin."


	12. Imprisoned

_A/N: Hey everyone. Hope you all have been doing great. School's just kicking back in here. Again, I apologize for the long waits in between updates. Please continue to be patient with me as I try to get each chapter out as fast as possible :) Thank you so much for all of you wonderful support through your reviews and PM's. It truly does make this worthwhile. _

_I should mention that I went and saw Beauty and the Beast 3D. I recommend seeing it. I must admit that the real reason I went was to see "Tangled Ever After". I loved it and it really makes me wish that they would make a full blown sequel. Normally I don't like sequels, because they are usually weaker stories. But honestly if the same people made it I think it would be awesome. Just love all the characters._

_This chapter we spend some more time with Rapunzel. Be warned, this chapter isn't as hopeful as the past two. Stakes get raised and we see the true colors of one particular person. It's not very pretty. But it's part of the process. Keep hope in our heroine and hero. :) Enjoy and God Bless!_

**Chapter 12**

**Imprisoned**

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><p>"Are you ready?" Rapunzel held the mouse that she had named Robin in the palm of her hand, whispering secretively to her befriended rodent. In the few hours she had spent in her imprisonment, the demanded intimacy between her and Robin had proven him acutely intelligent in the most remarkable way. Indeed, his intelligence rivaled, even exceeded, the astuteness of some humans. Their ability to communicate was such that the only comparable examples she could think of amongst the creatures of the world were Pascal and Max.<p>

"Remember the plan," she insisted of him. "And be sure to do it quietly."

The plan, of course, was for Robin to retrieve the set of keys from the jail guard's possession so she would be able to unlock herself from her imprisonment. Though it came as natural that she desired for her freedom, there was the slight, but ever present guilt of escaping. Part of it, she figured, had to do with obediently remaining in captivity for the first eighteen years of her life. Any act of defiance, even justified, burdened her heart with at least some degree of guilt. But, the part that seemed to disturb her most was her escape could endanger the guard. She had grown fond of him in their conversation, and if her escape was successful he himself may suffer imprisonment or perhaps worse.

Despite these reservations, she also felt that he himself was encouraging her escape. She recalled the last words he had said to her. _Name's only important if you plan on staying. _These words uttered as he glanced at his keys in a strangely knowing fashion; as if he were vaguely conveying to her a hint. Though she couldn't be sure of this, she also observed the cavalier fashion he used in keeping watch of the jail. What guard falls asleep on the job, especially with his keys insecurely resting on his desk instead of fasted to the belt on his pants? All of these things, in spite of her guilt, seemed to Rapunzel the guard's subtle way of helping her escape. He couldn't physically unlock her, but she could get the key from him and he would be free from any guilt save for an untimely drowsiness.

Remembering her promise to the man, she justified her escape by assuring herself it was worth it in the end if she could free him from the oppression of the Duke.

With one eye on the Duke, she lowered her hand to the damp, brick floor. "Go Robin," she compelled with a whisper.

She watched the mouse scurry across the floor until he reached the man's foot. Using the dependable grip of his claws by digging in the cloth, he climbed the guard's pant leg and then across his belly to the top of his shoulder. The mouse's feet tickled the man's chest as he crawled across. His heavy arm lifted itself involuntarily in his slumber to scratch the irritated area. The hand descended upon Robin, threatening to crush him, or at least awake the guard and alert him to his presence. He leapt out of the impact zone just before it landed.

Rapunzel, who observed all of this riveted to the bars of her cell, breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Robin exhaled in relief as well, and then continued to crawl across the man's chubby frame until he reached his shoulder. The man was sleeping as he sat parallel to his desk. Between his chair and the desktop was a considerably significant unabridged chasm that would have been challenging for any mouse to jump across.

The mouse glanced down at the consequence of failing to safely jump from the man's shoulder to the desk. Though the urgency of this next task heightened Robin's awareness, he was undaunted by height and the prospect of falling in failure. He cracked his little knuckles and took a few steps back to where the man's shoulder met the base of his neck. He bolted across the man's shoulder and on his final steps he pushed off with all of his might. His arms flailed about as he flew through the air, but even the weightless anticipation of landing did not shake his confidence. He landed on the table and continued in to a barrel roll to absorb the impact. At once he glanced back at the guard, checking for any signs of his waking. His hand fell back heavily to his side and continued to snore.

Robin scurried over to iron set of keys that rested on the desk. With his forward paws he tried to lift them. He couldn't. Lifting them would be no use. After a moment of troubleshooting this issue, he lassoed his tail around the ring of irons and began to pull them across the desk with all the strength in his body. This, though still challenging, was effective in pulling to the edge of the desk.

After releasing his tail he shoved the keys over the side of the desk. They tumbled to the ground and clamored against the brick floor. Though not loud by any comparison, the tension of this situation made so this rather common sound became like the shrieks of an injured horse. For Rapunzel, one might as well have clapped a pair of brass cymbals right in the man's ear.

But he didn't wake.

After using his claws to scale down the side of that wooden desk, he came to the floor and once again lassoed his tail around the iron ring. He moved at a speed quick enough to give Rapunzel the keys in timely fashion, but slow enough they wouldn't create a cacophony of sound as they were pulled across the floor.

Fatigued, the mouse dropped the set of keys outside of her cell. After reaching through and trying several times to open the door, she finally found the key that opened her cell and sprung free from her confinement.

The hinges of the cell, old and rusted from its many years of dwelling in that cold and damp dungeon, moaned as she opened it. She only opened it so far as to slide her body through, and then shut it; hinges squealing even louder that when she had opened it. She scooped Robin from the ground and placed him on her shoulder. As she padded softly to the dungeon's exit, she noticed the guard with his eyes closed. His snoring, however, had stopped.

His body had not shifted, but now the first doubts of her escape paralyzed her at the door. What if she had mistaken coincidental body language for subtle hints? Maybe she was wrong that he had wanted her to escape. Maybe he had awakened when Robin had run across his belly, or the cell door opened. If this were true, he could be pretending to sleep until she left the dungeon at which time he would alert the Duke's men of her escape.

Terrifying as it was, the same thought returned to her. If he was awake and didn't want her to leave, he wouldn't have let her even get this far from her cell.

With her fears temporarily suppressed, she whispered under her breath as if she were speaking to the man. "I will come back, I promise."

Why she did this she wasn't even quite sure. Though perhaps, she figured, if he was awake and was permitting her escape, she could at least reassure him that letting her go would not be his demise. Such a thing felt silly, even nonsensical to her. Yet something within the unknown portions of her heart seemed to utter the words for her, as if it didn't matter if he heard or not.

As her whispered echoed throughout the chamber, the corners of his lips twitched upward on his face. Perhaps it was just the involuntary movements of the muscles of his face as they contracted in his sleep. But its occurrence seemed so immediate to her whisper, that it at the very least appeared to be a brief flash of home. Maybe he did hear her. She took one last look at him and exited the room.

When Rapunzel was a child, she often would sneak out of her bedroom after bedtime to look out of the window of her tower. Among the most beautiful sights to behold were the twinkling sparkles above, those distant beacons of hope that filled the expanse of the tranquil night. Unable to ever leave, she would fantasize about what it would be like to be among them; to never be kept in one place again, but free to joyfully bask in the glory of such beautiful creation. Getting caught looking out the window at night after her bedtime would certainly garner a tongue lashing and lecture about the cruelty and ugliness of the world from her keeper, Gothel. Though she was usually obedient, Rapunzel couldn't help herself when it came to her fascination with the night sky. She learned how sneak around the tower at night without waking Gothel; how to flex the knees and avoid letting her heels clomp against the floor. Such skills now became quite handy as she snuck out of the dungeon and through the main hallways of the Duke's castle.

With Robin pointing her along the way, she snuck through the hallways using the darkness from minimal torch light for cover. To her advantage, night had fallen upon the country, making even lighted hallways ideal for camouflaging a recently escaped prisoner from inattentive eyes. Throughout the castle patrols of guards frequently passed through the halls, Rapunzel's only shelter being the large columns extending toward the ceiling, an occasional decoration, or simply sitting off to the side hoping that she wouldn't be seen.

After venturing down a long, dark corridor, she came to a one way corner. This corridor emptied in to the main lobby, her last obstacle between her and the outside world. She crept up to the corner and peeked around its edge to survey the foyer. Two guards stood facing each other not ten feet away from where she stood. One guard had a perfect line of vision to her, with no trouble would have noticed her looking around the corner. She reeled back behind the corner and covered her mouth to suppress her gasp. Fear and doubt seized her once more; she held her breath in desperation. With her eyes shut she listened as the men spoke to each other.

To her surprise neither had taken notice. They continued in their casual conversation revolving around a fellow soldier who had apparently angered the both of them. One was awaiting a shift change, but his replacement was running late. This sparked the frustrations of both soldiers, directed at this particular guard who was yet to come.

Moments passed as Rapunzel waited in the dark corridor. Behind her, she heard the sound of footsteps; not walking, but running. Stuck between the two disgruntled guards and the approaching hastened footsteps, Rapunzel had nowhere to go. Fear paralyzed her. She shrank in to the darkness of the corridor, leaning against the wall and burying her face in to her hands. All she could do was wait for the guards to find her.

The feet came closer. She heard the guards stop talking. Robin concealed himself behind her shoulder length hair. The sound was even nearer. She began to shake. The sound was right on top of her, then passed her and ran around the corner coming to a stop with the other two guards.

The runner was out of breath, she could hear him desperately trying to collect enough air to speak.

"Maurice, finally," one soldier exclaimed. "I've been waiting on you for half an hour."

The runner replied with a faint apology, still struggling to catch his breath.

"Why are you breathing so hard," the other soldier asked.

The man reeled in a few deep breaths. "There's…there's been a breach."

"What," they replied in unison.

"A breach…a breach." His words were still indecipherable amidst his wheezing lungs.

"Speak up, man," barked the first soldier.

The runner sucked in a few more breaths. "Come to the dungeon, there's been an escape."

Without a word the first two guards took off in a sprint. Rapunzel shrank back in to her corner, sure that this time she would be discovered. The two rounded the corner and sprinted past her down the dark corridor. A few seconds later, she heard the heavy footed, asthmatic guard trot past, wheezing helplessly for the other's to wait up for him.

He too passed without noticing her. She had no idea how they simply did not see her. Certainly, the hallway was very dark, but she had figured that however dark it was it was not enough to hide her from view. She could only assume that they were so preoccupied by returning to the dungeon, they didn't realize their objective was no further than an arm's reach.

After composing the torrent of adrenaline still coursing through her, she took another peek in to the foyer. It was empty of any person who would hinder her escape. At this moment providence seemed to favor her liberation. At first she crept in to the room, ensuring that she had evaded all guards and none were left. When she had seen no one, she began to jog, then sprint toward the door. She had not been stopped she was there, she had made it to the door.

She laid her hand upon the doors large brass handle. She prepped to yank it backward with all of her might. Suddenly all strength in her body fled, she lost command of all of her limbs. She did not collapse to the floor, but rather she was stuck in a rigid position against the door. She tried to pull on the handle as hard as she could, but her arms did not move. Robin flew from her shoulder like he had been swiped away by a hand.

The grip of a nefarious forced seized her waist. What felt like the arms of a barbarian were now wrapped around her torso, her arms pinned against her sides. She shook her shoulders and head to escape. She was pulled away from the door and lifted off the ground. Her shrieks of horror and panic echoed throughout as she levitated in the middle of the air.

A calm voice emerged as she struggled. "Going somewhere?"

Her panic stopped and eyes snapped open. Her body, still levitated, was turned away from the door to face the source.

Marcus.

"It's very rude to not inform your host of your departure, you know! Didn't they teach you that when you became princess?"

Rapunzel shrieked and struggled. "Let me go!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't!"

"Why are you doing this? What have I done to you? I demand that you tell me!"

Marcus shrugged with a wry grin and lifted brow. "Nothing."

This answer surprised her, causing to stop struggling.

"It's what you will do for me," he continued.

"What are you talking about," she replied, astonished and slightly afraid of treachery he might force upon her.

Marcus sighed. "Dear Rapunzel, I need you because I'm pursuing something of great value."

"Well I will never help you. Ever!"

He shrugged. "I don't expect you too. What I am looking for is known by few; and the few who do know of it think it nothing more than a myth. I hardly think that you'll be able to assist me."

"You're a liar. I should have never even talked to you!"

"If I had a coin for every time a woman has told me that sweetheart, I'd be even richer than I am now."

Despite her outrage at the pleasure he took in such disrespect, she was unable to muster a worthy reply. "I don't understand," she replied, utterly confused.

"Rapunzel, there are certain things in this world that you may not be aware of yet. Maybe I can help you understand. You may think that I am rich, self-indulgent, chauvinistic, power-monger; which I won't deny, even though I think it is a bit harsh considering that even ordinary folk often fit this description. But such things often only relate to that which is seen; is only satisfied but what is tangible and material. I'm much more complicate than that.

"There are two realms of this world. The tangible, material stuff that you see and touch; and then there is that what you can't see. Consider the bondage in which I now hold you. The chains which grip you now are more powerful than any that have ever been forged by man. Yet, you can't see them. I understand that there is more than what is seen and touched, its how I have acquired the skills that I have."

Rapunzel thought for a moment, and she understood.

"You may think sorcery isn't real, but then try to reason why it is I am able to hold you ten feet above the ground with nothing more than a thought."

"I still don't understand," Rapunzel replied overwhelmed and whimpering, "Why me?"

She felt herself being lowered to the ground. When her feet finally were on the floor, the Duke approached her while keeping her bound in his spell. "As you can tell, I have acquired more than most when it comes to that of supernatural power. But is it simply enough to be good? Should one just settle for just a portion of what they really want?"

"Even if you get what you always want, you'll never be happy," she replied in pleading tone.

"Contentment is overrated," he replied. "Why pursue anything unless you can achieve to the fullest? That's why I am doing this Rapunzel. I am setting my sights on something so powerful, not only will I be invincible, so will all of Corona. I only need to find it."

"Find what?"

"The Evening Star."

"What?" Rapunzel's face shrunk in bewilderment.

"Legend says it fell from the sky a long time ago. It was so powerful that it gave man more power than an entire army. With it in his possession, none could oppose him and prevail. This is what I'm after, and your father holds the key to its location."

"I don't know what this evening star is or if it's real, but if it is my father will surrender to your wishes."

"Maybe not in exchange for money, he's not like me. But he would with a threat."

Rapunzel paused. She looked in to his eyes and understood. "But he would if it meant my safety," she replied.

Marcus grinned. It was small and could easily be worn by a well intentioned man. But this small grin on his face sent chills down her spine.

"You wouldn't."

"Already did. I know he'll give me the answer."

"And you'll honor that agreement," Rapunzel queried.

Marcus paused.

"You scoundrel. Liar!"

"Rapunzel you must understand," Marcus continued. "At first I intended on honoring our agreement. But then I realized something very important."

He drew in breath and stepped closer to her. He stared in to her eyes intently, as man does to a lover when drawn to her. She turned away, in fear and disgust.

"In order for one to acquire the power of the evening star, another must be bound in love and have given give their heart to the one who seeks its imputation of its qualities." He stepped around her back side, whispering in her ear and running his fingers through her hair.

"To have its power, one must place their hand on the star give up themselves to the one who receives its power. In return, the one who sacrifices themselves lives as long they remain devoted to the one they've given their heart too."

Her eyes lowered as she processed what he had told her. Her eyes widened, tears welled in her eyes. "So you want me to put my hand on the star so you can have its power, and in order to live afterward I must love you."

Marcus turned her to face him. With another bone chilling grin, he nodded. "Precisely."

Tears began streaming from her cheeks. Her demise was near, and all she knew and loved was at the edge of a precipice ready to tumble toward its doom.

"You weep now Rapunzel, but that is only because you don't understand that my love for you is greater than any other nobleman or peasants. In a few days, you will see."

Through her sobs Rapunzel mustered a retort. "You may not plan on honoring your agreement, but without my father's help you won't have me or your precious star," she hissed.

The Duke snatched her cheeks in to his hand. "Don't bother me with petty threats. My men have acquired intelligence to its location, and we will have accomplished my life-long goal before your father has even decided to agree with me. Had he not dragged his feet on choosing between your life and his worthless group of squabbling peasants that he so _nobly_ considers better than himself, you would be in his arms right now. If you want to blame someone, blame him. Not that it matters. In time you will have forgotten him and everyone else, and learn to appreciate the only good there is."

"I will never go with you," she screamed, sobbing. "_Ever!"_

The anger in the Duke's face disappeared, yielding to a blank and merciless stare. A few moments passed as he observed her carefully. Once more he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Then you will die," he said. He turned and left the room.

Still bound, two soldiers came and carried her back to imprisonment.


	13. Aftermath and the Cabin in the Woods

_A/n: Hey there. I know it's been quite a long time. Sorry about that, but as you can see I am starting to jump back in to this story. Admittedly, I was starting to get overwhelmed with this story a few months back and since the last time I posted I just needed a break. I hope your still around to read it and enjoy it. For those who haven't read in awhile, the last chapter featured a new character, who has teamed up with Eugene to help rescue Rapunzel. Meanwhile, at the beginning of this chapter we get to catch a glimpse of the Kingdom as it suffers from the aftermath of the invasion. As always thank you for reading and any feedback you leave for me. Enjoy :)_

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Aftermath and the Cabin in the Woods

A full day after the raid, the Black army was now fully encamped outside the perimeter of the city. Smoke still rose in to the atmosphere of Corona from fires which had at one point burnt so bright that they were just now beginning to be doused by the steady rainfall. A strange juxtaposition of sounds carried throughout the air. In some circles, some heard the sound of soldiers laughing while they sat around campfires, feasting upon freshly cooked food. In others, you heard the coughs of children whose throats had been scored by the smoke of the city. Mothers sobbed as their children starved.

A young couple screamed and wept hysterically as one soldier from the Black army tried to pry the wife from her lover's arms. The soldier succeeded, for the other man had suffered a grotesque injury to his leg, and began to carry her away with ghoulish intent.

He stopped, however, when he felt the point of a blade pressed in to his back.

"Let her go," snarled the man wielding the blade.

The soldier resisted, clutching the girl with an arm wrapped around her neck from behind.

"Let her go, unless you'd rather lose your life right now," the man continued. He pressed the blade in further, threatening to puncture.

The fiend loosened his grip and the girl sprinted back to her lover, sobbing in fear.

The man who liberated her turned to the young couple. They were dirty, and had sustained many wounds during the raid. The boy who clutched the girl had ripped off the sleeve of his shirt and wrapped it around his leg. Dried blood had soaked most of his pants on the right leg.

As the young man held his shivering lover against his chest, he looked at the man who had saved her. He nodded as if to thank him. The man tilted his chin down, acknowledging the young man's gratitude.

He turned back to the fiendish soldier who had tried to take the girl for his own. Two other soldiers, bearing the armor of Florencian soldiers, restrained him to be addressed by their superior.

The man drew close to the fiend, whispering in his ear in a menacing tone. "You think you can just do whatever you want?"

The fiend didn't reply.

"You and your people may think that you can run wild as you wish because the Duke hasn't restrained you from doing so," he continued, "but I am still your superior in this operation."

He gave a glance to his two men that restrained him, and then nodded.

The two men along with two other Florencian soldiers carried him off, passed some the prisoners, deep in to the woods. It is uncertain as to how they did it, but whatever they did to that soldier would be enough to keep in line.

The captain drew close to three other soldiers from the Black army who stood nearby and had seen the whole event take place.

"Remember who is paying you!"

The captain drew away from the scene and walked through the camp. He came to a large tent that had been erected about thirty yards from the beach. Behind it you could the city of Corona sitting upon its hill in the middle of that giant bay. To the captain's memory, never before had its skyline been so absent of light.

He entered the tent. It was easily twenty degrees warmer in there than the chilly fall air outside. In the center was a giant table covered with maps of varying scales, each displaying area of Coronan territory. Several advisors and superior officers within the ranks of the armies were scattered about the tent, discussing report details and debriefing on their mission objectives from the invasion. Around the edges of the tent were cushions and chairs, and even a buffet of freshly cooked foods.

Near the middle of the center table stood the Duke. The man next to him pointed at various spots on the map, while the Duke stood next to me nodding in confirmation of whatever the man was saying.

The captain, who had come for the purpose of speaking to the Duke, drew near to him and cleared his throat to announce his arrival.

"My lord, I have come with a message."

Marcus looked at the captain. "Yes, captain Wallace?"

The captain looked around the room at all of the people who stood within.

"That important, eh," Marcus replied. He patted the man he was just speaking with and motioned him out of the door. He then commanded that the rest the group leave the tent as well, which they obeyed.

Once the tent was cleared of any other people, Marcus ventured over to the buffet table. He plucked a piece of meat from a juicy turkey that sat on the table.

"Help yourself, captain."

"If my men don't eat it, neither will I."

Marcus squinted, perhaps because he sensed a hint of defiance in the captain's tone. "Suit yourself. What is it that you have come to tell me?"

The captain exhaled. "The king came forward to me. He said that he will agree to give you the location of the Evening Star, on the condition that the Princess is first returned to him and that the people will be allowed to return to their homes. As part of this deal he will relinquish his crown to you."

Marcus stared at the captain. After a moment of gnawing on the piece of turkey in his mouth, his solid stare turned to a grin, then his grin to a hearty chuckle.

The captain was not amused. "What is it, sir?"

The Duke exhaled, still fighting back the aftershocks of his laughter. "I swear, I don't know how Richard has made it so long as king with the way he deals with enemies."

"With all due respect, my lord, he didn't have much of a choice."

"It's not about what he chose, Captain, it's about how slow he was in doing it." Marcus' expression had narrowed in response to the captain's continued resistance.

"Should my men and I retrieve the princess then?"

"That won't be necessary."

"But, sir," protested Wallace.

"But, what," Marcus snapped. "Last time I checked you were a captain. You take orders from me."

"With all due respect, sir," the captain began, "you gave the king your word. I expected that you would be obliged to keep it."

Marcus' gaze narrowed in suspicion. "You do understand, captain, that this kind of talk is what causes bad things to happen to those who speak it."

Wallace remained silent.

"She was always just a bargaining chip to force his hand, so I could have the location of the evening star. He dragged his feet, and I was able to find its location on my own. He brought this on himself. Either way, it doesn't matter. She's key to me receiving the Evening Star's power. Without her, I can't attain it."

"You found it?"

"Some sources of mine have tracked down a lead on a lay man who knows of its position. They are on their way now as we speak. By tomorrow night, we'll have it."

Wallace erupted. "These are people's lives, sir. You can't just play with them like pawns."

Marcus snatched him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Though smaller than the captain, he held him with ease high above his head.

"Quit acting so morally superior, captain. You were the one who pledged his allegiance to me."

"That was before I knew you would be hurting innocent people," Wallace replied, struggling to force the words from his constricted throat.

"You knew what I wanted," Marcus growled. "No matter what you say, or anyone says. The Evening Star will soon be mine. If you continue to have a problem with this, then you and your family can suffer with those whelps outside."

The two men glared in to one another. "Are we clear," Marcus continued.

Wallace didn't reply. Marcus released him from his grip, dropping him to the floor. He collapsed trying to catch his breath.

"You can tell the king," Marcus said, "that our deal is over. I will find out where the Evening Star is, tonight!"

As night began to fall, the rainfall increased from the rate it fell for most of the day. Eugene and his new alliance had taken extra cloth and wore them over their heads as hoods. They had been riding most of the day, stopping only a couple of occasions to stretch their legs and let their horses drink some water from a nearby brook. With the low visibility and lack of a clearly defined trail prevented them going any faster that a light canter, and even then it was rare.

"How much further are we," Eugene asked. His frustration from riding all day and not coming any closer to finding Rapunzel was beginning to surface.

"Refer to the answer I gave five minutes ago," Caleb replied as he rode ahead of Eugene.

Eugene cantered Max so that he had pulled even with O'Brien and his horse. "You've been evading my questions all day. If I didn't know any better I'd say you're either lost, or your trying to lose me."

O'Brien pulled back on the reins and faced pivoted on his horse to face Eugene. "If I'm lost, then you should leave," he sneered. "If you think I'm deceiving you, you're wrong. I would have lost you a long ways back. We'll get there when we get there."

Eugene nodded, stepping down from the confrontation. Each kicked in to the sides of their horses, prompting them onward.

As they walked Eugene noticed Max veer in to the other horse's path every few seconds.

"So what's her name," Eugene asked, indicating O'Brien's horse.

"Amara," he replied.

"I think my horse likes her," Eugene chuckled, trying to ease the tension.

A half grin appeared on O'Brien's face.

"Where'd you get her," Eugene continued.

"We found each other," he replied. "About five years ago, when I was a captain, my squad and I were charged with escorting my brother to the capital of Messina. I can't remember why exactly, I believe it had to do with establishing a trade agreement. At the time, thugs roamed the woods around our villages and were robbing our farmers, and then selling our produce to fund their dirty work. It's hard to believe it now, but my brother was actually successfully capturing and imprisoning some of their most important members.

"As a result, many of those men made it their mission to kill him. This one day we were attack by a gang of these miscreants. Somehow I'd been separated from my men and knocked from my horse. I ran from them as fast as I could, but I just couldn't get away. Long story short, I ended up falling off the side of a small hill, and there she was just sitting there in the grove like she was waiting for me. I knew it was crazy to try to approach a wild horse, but she just stood there and let me get on. She saved my life."

Eugene didn't say anything; just reflected on the story he'd just heard.

"It's funny," O'Brien continued, musing to himself more than actually speaking to Eugene, "the things that change our life seem to come when we're least expecting them, but we find later that's when we needed them most."

The group continued for several more moments, saying nothing, but just riding in silence.

Suddenly, Eugene felt Pascal spring up from the ball that he was curled in on his shoulder. Pascal poked in him in the neck and pointed off in to the distance.

"Does the frog see something," O'Brien asked.

"It's a chameleon," Eugene corrected. "I think he does. Is that what I think it is?"

Eugene pointed in to the distance at a light several hundred yards away, barely visible amidst the fog, rain, and dense forest.

"Eugene, I think we're in sight of our goal."

The two riders kicked their heels and snapped their reins, thrusting their horses in to a cantor.

After just a few moments the riders had arrived at a small cabin. Lights were on in the inside of the house. Smoke rolled out of the chimney, and from inside there was the sound of someone playing on an out of tune fiddle.

"This is it," O'Brien said as he tethered the reins of Amara's halter to a nearby tree. "This is definitely it."

"You're sure," Eugene asked as he tied Max to another tree next to Amara.

"I'm sure. Just be warned, the man you're about to meet is – interesting."

The two ventured up to the front door of the cabin. O'Brien rapped his knuckles against the face of the door. "Luke Parish, open up!"

The music stopped inside. Several seconds passed.

"Luke Parish, just because you stopped playing doesn't mean I don't know you're in there."

From inside there was the muffled sound of a curse. Eugene looked over and noticed shaking his head, as if he had been through this routine many times.

The door swung open and a man in overalls appeared. He had no shirt on, and his long shaggy hair was twisted in knots and sticking out in awkward places.

"What do you want, O'Brien," Parish queried. His voice had a baritone hum, and the more he spoke it sounded like saliva was permanently lodged in his throat. On top of this, he spoke slower than most people, immediately causing Eugene to think that his intelligence was about as low as the pitch of his voice.

"Whoa, Parish. Can't a friend just stop by to say hello," O'Brien replied.

Parish stared blankly at the two in the door way, as if all thought disappeared from his head. His lower lip quivered as if he were thinking to himself, but his eyes stared in to the distance showing no signs of life. After multiple seconds of awkward silence passed, Parish smiled. "Of course, you're always welcomed to Luke's place."

The two men ventured inside of the Parish's house. O'Brien pulled up a chair for himself at one of the tables next to a shelf full of books. Eugene stepped over toward the fire place to warm up some after being in the rain all day.

"Who's he? How'd he get in here," Parish asked as he observed Eugene next to the fireplace.

Eugene turned in bewilderment.

"You didn't see him at the door," O'Brien asked, equally confused.

Parish stared at Eugene once more, with the same strange stare he had just a moment ago in the doorway; lip quivering and his eyes looking right through the man he was facing. A few seconds passed and a deep, slow chuckle rose up through his throat. Eugene thought a chunk of the man's spit would shoot forth along with his laughter.

"Oh yeah," Parish chuckled. "Now I remember."

Eugene squinted in disbelief; his mouth fell agape.

"Luke this is my friend, Eugene."

"Pleased to meet you," said Parish.

"And you too," Eugene replied, still in bewilderment, "I think."

A wide grin formed on Parish's face. He nodded and chuckled quietly to himself as Eugene shook his hand.

"Would you two like some soup," Parish asked, turning back to O'Brien.

"In a minute," O'Brien replied. "But-"

"No you've been outside all day, first we eat soup, then we talk about why you came to visit Luke, okay?" Another gravelly chuckle erupted from the man's throat as he ventured toward the fire place where a large cauldron hung over the fire.

Eugene watched him as he poured the soup in to some wooden bowls. _That's the first smart thing he's said yet_.

"Soup for you," Parish said, handing the bowl to Eugene. "And soup for us." He handed a bowl to O'Brien and kept one for himself.

Eugene stared suspiciously at his soup while the other two slurped it up and gnawed on the chunks of beef that were in the broth. The soup looked normal; its texture wasn't the problem for him. He wasn't sure if he trusted the cooking of man that could barely remember how he had gotten in the cabin after knocking on his door.

He looked over at O'Brien, who winked and continued eating his soup. Finally, Eugene grabbed the spoon and shoved a spoon full of the beef soup in to mouth.

"So what brings you to my castle," Parish asked, while finishing the remaining portions of his dinner.

"Eugene is in a predicament," O'Brien replied.

Parish set his bowl on the floor and narrowed his gaze toward Eugene, their eyes maintained contact with each other for several, long awkward seconds. Parish then cleared his throat.

"Ah," he began. "You've lost something, haven't you?"

Eugene paused. He looked toward O'Brien with a look of confusion. Just a few minutes before could barely remember that Eugene had come in with his companion, and now he was able to peg Eugene's problem with nothing but a look.

"Taken, actually," Eugene replied.

"Don't make no difference. You don't have it, and now you lookin' for it."

"You have no idea."

"What's her name," Parish queried.

Eugene's vision snapped to meet Parish's once more, stunned. "How did you know it was a person?"

A gravely chuckle erupted from Parish's throat. "People think Lucas Parish is stupid, but he knows when a man lost his woman. It's the look in the eye. Ain't no other one like it."

Eugene didn't respond.

"So what's her name," Parish asked again.

"Rapunzel."

Parish burst in to another set of laughter. "The princess? The princess! How did you manage to catch that fish? You devil! O'Brien I can tell ya right now that I like this guy!"

Eugene glared at him, and he restrained his laughter.

"Lucas," O'Brien began. "We don't have much time, and as far as I know you're the only one that can help us."

Parish looked both men in the eye and smiled. "How can I help you?"

"The Evening Star," Eugene began. "Do you know anything about it?"

Parish looked toward the ceiling and muttered to himself, thinking. "That is an old legend, except I don't think it is."

"Your right," O'Brien replied. "I know you have something to help us, Lucas."

Parish narrowed his gaze in to O'Brien and grinned. With the snap of his fingers, he turned and headed toward a closet door. "Follow me!"

He opened the door, and flung it open. The closet was empty.

"Oh come on," Eugene complained. "This is serious. We don't have any more times for your games. Can you help us, or not?"

Parish chuckled. "This ain't no game."

"Your right," Eugene exclaimed. "It's just an empty closet!"

With a raised brow, Parish turned and placed his hand on the wooden floor in the closet. He tapped his knuckles against a piece of wood which sounded unusually hollow compared to the rest of the floor. He pushed his finger in to an indentation on floor, and lifted the section of wood upward. Beneath it revealed a staircase leading to an underground cellar.

Parish turned and smiled toward Eugene. "Not all things are what they seem."

Together the three men ventured down in to the cellar. Once at the bottom of the steps, Parish lit a lantern, revealing the cellar was actually an underground library. Around the four walls of the room were bookshelves. Each was loaded with tomes, dealing with a variety of subjects. It comprised of a fiction collection, as well as a non-fiction featuring titles about science and history. In the middle of the room were two cushioned chairs and a small table.

One section of the library had a collection devoted completely to Coronan folklore and mythology. It is to this where Parish went and began perusing the books for one that could help them in their search.

His fingers landed on one that pleased him. _Stories and Tales of Coronan Legend_. He pulled this from the shelf and began leafing through the pages.

"Here it is," Parish said. "The tale of the evening star."

He walked back to the center of the room and sat in of the cushioned chairs as he began to read from the pages.

"Once upon a time," Parish began reading, when he was interrupted by Eugene.

"Can't we just skip to the part to where it can be found?"

"No," Parish replied. "You can't find nothin' without knowin' how it got there."


End file.
